Orthopedics

Every Child Diagnosed With an Orthopedic Problem is Treated With an Individualized Plan

About Our Orthopedics Department

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Orthopedics

Whether it’s a baby with a congenital condition, or a teenager with a sports-related injury, our team specializes in diagnosing, evaluating and treating problems of the musculoskeletal system, trauma and fractures, scoliosis and other spinal abnormalities in children of all ages.

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Orthopedics is ranked by US News & World Report.

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Programs
Locations
Our Team
Patient Stories

Key Programs

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Hand and Upper Extremity Program

Children who are born with hand or upper extremity differences or experience a traumatic injury face unique challenges. Our Hand and Upper Extremity Program is one of the few in the US that includes Orthopedic Surgery and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, offering a comprehensive approach to upper extremity care.

Two Teen Boys and One Teen Girl Sitting in Hallway

Hip Program

The dedicated Hip Program focuses on using the latest treatments and techniques that ensures every measure is used to preserve hip function, reduce pain and support healthy joint growth in patients diagnosed with the most complex conditions related to the hip.

Honda Center

Honda Center for Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement

Walking. Moving. Better. At the Honda Center for Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement, children and adults with mobility limitations, spinal conditions, neuromuscular disorders and congenital and acquired limb conditions have access to in-depth analysis of their gait and motion.

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Center for Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction

Our center treats children and adolescents with all types of limb length discrepancies and limb deformities including congenital, developmental or post-traumatic limb deformities.

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Musculoskeletal Oncology Program

Our Musculoskeletal Oncology Program focuses on innovative limb salvage strategies and ways to protect quality of life both now and in the future for our patients.

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Spine Program

The Spine Program at Nationwide Children's focuses on managing congenital, developmental and neuromuscular-related spine conditions. Our approach provides a long-term treatment plan of surgical or non-surgical interventions that will allow for optimal skeletal growth.

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Sports Medicine

Our orthopaedic and sports medicine teams have collaborated to create a patient care environment focused on returning young athletes to pre-injury activity levels safely and quickly, creating treatment and rehabilitation plans that meet the unique needs of maturing bones.

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Trauma Program

The trauma team includes experts in orthopaedic surgery, working closely with emergency department physicians to assess and prioritize multi-injury issues.

Locations

We serve patients at our main campus in Columbus, Ohio, and also in locations in the surrounding community.

Surgery locations

Clinic Locations

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Our Orthopedics team includes surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurses who provide expert, individualized care for each child. 

Leadership

Nationwide Children's Hospital Medical Professional

Kevin E. Klingele

Kevin E. Klingele, MD is the Chief of Orthopedics.

Meet Our Team
Billy C

Read Billy's Story

Name: Billy C.
Age Today: 17 Years

Billy was in the sixth grade when he noticed that his left foot was turning inward and that he was “walking weird.” He was later diagnosed with Legg-Perthes disease, a condition where blood flow to the hip joint is disrupted, causing the bone in the hip to become malformed and weak.

Maureen C

Read Maureen's Story

Name: Maureen C.
Condition(s): Scoliosis
Age Today: 19 Years

Maureen’s yearly check-up was routine, until the spinal check. Asked to bend over, she did so freely and had no hesitation. But one side of her back was clearly raised higher than the other.

Gunner M

Read Gunner's Story

Name: Gunner M.
Condition(s): Spinal Muscular Atrophy SMA
Age Today: 5 Years

When Gunner was not quite one year old, he underwent testing at the Neurosciences Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He didn’t seem to want to “go faster” then and his mom and dad wanted to make sure everything was okay.

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Inside Orthopedics

Meet Our Team

Our Orthopedics team specializes in diagnosing, evaluating and treating problems of the musculoskeletal system, trauma and fractures, scoliosis and other spinal abnormalities in children of all ages.

Locations

Learn more about the clinical and surgical orthopedic locations.

Research and Innovation

Learn about the ground-breaking work and techniques our surgeons, clinicians and researchers are investigating.

Orthopedics Resources

Check out our list of orthopedic resources for families.

Orthopedics Clinical Research

Learn more about clinical research relating to orthopedics.

Conditions We Treat

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Orthopedics in the News

Allan Beebe

Remote Control Treatment

Magnetic growing rods help patients who have early-onset scoliosis avoid repeated surgeries.

Remote Control Treatment
Julie B. Samora

Bracing for Buckle Fractures

Shifting from casts to splints for distal radius buckle fractures has saved time and money for providers and families.

Bracing for Buckle Fractures
chloe

Fewer Surgeries for Scoliosis Patients

Learn more about a common surgical treatment for early-onset scoliosis is the implantation of growing rods or expandable titanium ribs.

Fewer Surgeries for Scoliosis Patients
Makya M
Patient Story

Meet our Patients

Makya was born with with a severely deformed spine. But his 15 back surgeries haven’t stopped him from riding horses, playing baseball, running and riding his bike. He doesn’t let anything hold him back, and faces each day with courage, a smile, and a positive attitude.

Read Makya's Story

More Orthopedics

image of a child's leg and foot in a cast
Article

Cast and Splint Care

Your child needs a cast or splint. The cast or splint keeps the injured area from moving while it heals. Movement can cause pain, delay healing or make the injury worse. Some casts are waterproof. Your doctor will tell you the type that has been put on your child.

Blog

Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction: Managing Leg Discrepancy

There are many different reasons for leg length discrepancy, but there are essentially two main causes: being born with a condition that causes one leg to grow slower than the other or an incident that affects the length of the bone (fracture) or affects the growth center of the bone (trauma,

Pediacast
Podcast

PediaCast 375: Scoliosis & EOS Imaging

Dr. Walter Samora joins Dr. Mike in the PediaCast Studio to talk about scoliosis. What causes this common condition? What symptoms result? How is it diagnosed and treated? Then we’ll explore the emerging technology of EOS imaging, which uses very low-dose radiation to create 3D pictures of the spine. We hope you can join us!