Neuro-Orthopedics Program

Our Team

Children with complex neurologic and orthopedic needs benefit most when care is coordinated across specialties. In the Neuro-Orthopedics Program, experts from across Nationwide Children’s work together to address the full range of your child’s needs.

• Complex Care physicians are often the gateway to coordinated care for children with cerebral palsy or similar conditions. They help manage tone-related issues and guide overall care across multiple systems.
• Pediatric orthopedic surgeons evaluate how tone, weakness, growth and alignment affect the bones, joints, muscles and spine. They recommend non-surgical and surgical options to improve comfort, positioning and mobility.
• Pediatric neurologists help diagnose and manage neurologic conditions that affect movement, tone, motor control and seizures. Their input helps the team understand the brain and nerve-related causes of a child’s symptoms.
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians focus on function, independence and quality of life. They often guide spasticity and dystonia management, equipment needs, bracing plans and therapy goals.
• Physical and occupational therapists assess movement, strength, range of motion, posture, positioning and daily activities. They help families understand therapy goals and practical ways to support function at home, school and in the community.
• Pediatric neurosurgeons may help when procedures involving the brain, spine or nervous system are part of a child’s tone-management plan, such as selective dorsal rhizotomy or intrathecal baclofen pump placement.
• Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics providers support children whose neurologic condition also affects development, learning, behavior, communication or adaptive skills.
• Social workers help families navigate emotional, social and practical challenges that can come with long-term complex care, including community resources and support services.
• Nurse care coordinators help organize appointments, connect families with the right services and make sure the care plan is shared clearly across specialties.

This integrated model allows us to build a care plan around your child’s unique needs, whether the goal is improved mobility, reduced spasticity, coordinated surgery, better positioning or long-term support for your family’s decisions and goals.

Honda Center for Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement

The Honda Center for Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement is an important aspect of the Neuro-Orthopedics program, allowing specialists to conduct detailed movement testing to help understand how a child walks, moves or uses assistive devices.

This may include 3D gait analysis, video, force plates, muscle activity testing and other tools that show how the hips, knees, ankles, feet, muscles and joints work together during movement.

This information helps the team make more precise recommendations. For some children, gait analysis may show that surgery is not needed or that therapy, bracing, injections or medication should be adjusted first. For others, it helps surgeons plan the right procedures at the right time and avoid unnecessary operations.

Gait and motion analysis can also help track progress after treatment and guide care as a child grows.

Why Choose Nationwide Children’s?

Nationwide Children’s is ranked as a Best Children’s Hospital for orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report and is home to one of the nation’s leading pediatric orthopedic programs. The Neuro-Orthopedics Program combines that orthopedic expertise with coordinated care from Neurology, Complex Care, PM&R, Therapy Services, Neurosurgery, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and other specialties.

The program is led by Sean Tabaie, MD, MBA, FAAOS, FAOA, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon with focused expertise in cerebral palsy, neuromuscular conditions and neuro-orthopedic care. Dr. Tabaie also serves as medical director of the Honda Center for Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement, helping connect advanced movement analysis with individualized treatment planning.

Highlights of our care include:

• A multidisciplinary team of pediatric experts working together in one visit
• Leadership from a physician with dedicated expertise in cerebral palsy and neuro-orthopedics
• Detailed movement testing through the Honda Center for Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement
• Comprehensive treatment options, including therapy, bracing, tone management, rehabilitation and surgery when needed
• Advanced surgical procedures and techniques for children who need orthopedic or neurosurgical treatment
• Care tailored to each stage of growth, development and family decision-making

Our goal is to simplify the care process for families while helping each child receive the right care at the right time.

What to Expect

During your child’s visit to the Neuro-Orthopedics Clinic, we aim to make the process as efficient and informative as possible. You and your child may be seen in a single appointment where multiple evaluations can take place.

The visit typically includes:

• A physical exam focused on your child’s muscle tone, joint motion, posture, alignment and mobility
• Observation of how your child moves, whether walking independently, using a device or sitting in a wheelchair
• Review of your child’s medical history, prior imaging, therapy progress and current equipment or braces
• Discussion of current concerns and goals, such as pain, walking, sitting, hygiene, transfers or ease of care
• On-site imaging, gait analysis or motion studies, if needed, to assist with diagnosis and treatment planning
• A summary of findings and a clear treatment plan shared with you before you leave

We encourage families to ask questions and participate in decision-making. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive assessment, reduce the need for multiple separate appointments and make sure you leave with a clear understanding of next steps.

Treatment Options

Treatment recommendations are individualized. For many children, care begins with non-surgical options. Surgery may be recommended only when it is likely to improve mobility, comfort, positioning, hygiene or long-term function.

Treatment may include:

• Physical and occupational therapy
• Stretching, strengthening, positioning and home-based programs
• Orthotics, braces, seating systems and mobility aids
• Spasticity and tone management, including oral medications, Botox® or other injections and intrathecal baclofen pumps
• Gait analysis and motion studies to guide care decisions
• Orthopedic procedures, such as tendon lengthening, tendon transfer, hip surgery, foot and ankle surgery, guided growth or spine surgery
• Neurosurgical procedures for tone management when appropriate
• Rehabilitation after surgery or procedures
• Ongoing monitoring as your child grows and needs change

Our team monitors each child over time and adjusts care as goals, growth and function change.

For children who walk independently or with assistive devices

For children who are ambulatory, treatment may focus on making walking more efficient, reducing fatigue, preventing deformities and helping preserve mobility over time. The team uses clinical exams, imaging and tools such as 3D gait analysis to determine which treatment options are most beneficial.

Surgical options, when needed, may include:

• Tendon lengthening or tendon transfer to address tight or imbalanced muscles and improve range of motion and gait
• Femoral or tibial osteotomies to correct bone rotation, such as excessive femoral anteversion or tibial torsion
• Foot and ankle procedures to improve alignment, brace fit and stability during walking
• Rectus femoris transfer, patellar tendon advancement or related procedures to improve knee control and reduce crouch gait
• Spine surgery in select cases when posture affects walking, standing balance, comfort or function

These procedures may be performed as part of single event multilevel surgery (SEMLS), a coordinated approach that allows multiple muscle and bone procedures to be completed during one operation. This can reduce the number of surgeries and streamline rehabilitation.

For children who are unable to walk

Children who rely primarily on wheelchairs or have limited mobility may benefit from treatment focused on comfort, positioning, hygiene, sitting balance, transfers and caregiver support.

Procedures may include:

• Hip reconstruction or salvage procedures for hips that are unstable, dislocated or painful
• Spinal fusion or guided growth to treat or help prevent scoliosis or kyphosis that affects comfort, sitting balance or breathing
• Tendon releases or muscle lengthening to address contractures that interfere with sitting, hygiene, dressing or brace fitting
• Foot and ankle stabilization to correct deformities that cause pressure areas, pain or bracing problems
• Joint stabilization or salvage procedures when severe spasticity or dystonia causes pain or limits positioning

SEMLS may also be appropriate when multiple contractures or deformities can be addressed during one planned surgical event.

Advanced procedures and techniques

When surgery is recommended, the team offers advanced procedures and techniques designed for children with cerebral palsy and neuromuscular conditions. Depending on the child’s needs, these may include minimally invasive approaches, guided growth, image-guided osteotomies, advanced spine instrumentation, neuromonitoring and navigation.

These techniques may help improve precision, reduce surgical trauma, support safer correction and improve recovery. The care team will explain which options are appropriate for your child and why.

For Referring Physicians

We value partnerships with primary care providers and subspecialists from across the country. We offer: 

• Timely access to consultations and imaging reviews
• Multidisciplinary case discussions for complex conditions
• Coordinated follow-up and shared-care models
• Research collaboration through national study groups

To refer a patient or discuss a case, call (614) 722-5175.