The Center for Orthopedic Innovation
Driving the Future of Pediatric Orthopedic Care
The Center for Orthopedic Innovation
The Center for Orthopedic Innovation at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is shaping the future of pediatric orthopedics through groundbreaking advancements, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a clear focus on translating ideas into action. Developed in collaboration with the Office of Technology Commercialization at Nationwide Children’s, the center provides access to licensing experts, funding opportunities, and strategic industry partnerships — bridging the gap between clinicians’ innovative ideas and their implementation.
Core Focus Areas
The center’s priorities reflect the most pressing challenges and promising opportunities in pediatric orthopedics:
- Trauma
- Spinal deformity
- Limb deformity
- Hip reconstruction
- Sports medicine
- Surgeon education and training
Translating Innovation into Practice
With a strong foundation in both academic rigor and clinical application, the center is actively:
- Optimizing surgical techniques
- Designing and testing novel implants and instruments
- Employing investigational modeling tools
- Safely integrating emerging technologies into practice
Innovation by the Numbers
In just its first year, the Center for Orthopedic Innovation achieved several notable milestones:
- Seven invention disclosures
- Five patent applications (one U.S. provisional and four U.S. provisional in draft)
- Over $200,000 in grant funding across three awarded projects
Recent Grant-Funded Projects
- 3D Biomechanical Model for Scoliosis (Technology Development Fund)
- Long-term Halo Traction (Technology Development Fund)
- Dynamic Spinal Cord Monitoring (Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America)
- Limb Lengthening Basic Research Model (Honda)
- Gait Lab Equipment (Honda)
- Collaborative Preclinical Studies (Aalborg University)
The center also introduced a new Long-Term Halo Gravity Traction Program and currently collaborates with more than eight external partners.
Visionary Leadership
Under the leadership of Allen A. Kadado, MD, the center promotes safe, ethical and research-driven innovation across surgical and nonsurgical practices. A pediatric orthopedic surgeon and researcher, Dr. Kadado has extensive experience in surgical innovation and quality improvement initiatives. In addition to leading the center, he is director of the Pediatric Orthopedic Residency and the Pediatric Orthopedic Clinical Innovation Fellowship at Nationwide Children’s, and adjunct assistant professor of Orthopedic Surgery at The Ohio State University.
A First-of-Its-Kind Fellowship Experience
The Pediatric Orthopedic Clinical Innovation Fellowship, developed by the Center for Orthopedic Innovation, is a uniquely immersive educational experience for physicians. This fellowship trains clinicians in all aspects of medical and surgical innovation through a structured academic lens.
Fellows follow a combined clinical and academic schedule designed to build expertise in:
- Applying clinical knowledge to innovation
- Conducting and interpreting research
- Navigating the translational pipeline from idea to implementation
They also interact directly with key collaborators across Nationwide Children’s Hospital and affiliated programs, gaining real-world experience in the innovation ecosystem. Upon graduation, fellows are fully prepared to lead transformative surgical innovation efforts in pediatric orthopedics.
