Pediatric Orthopaedics

Why choose UCLA Health for pediatric orthopaedics?

Our experienced pediatric experts understand that the orthopaedic needs of children are unique. We are specially trained to treat children with congenital, developmental and neuromuscular disorders. We also specialize in orthopaedic injuries and disease.

Our compassionate team works with you and your family to deliver effective treatments and comprehensive care for the full spectrum of orthopaedic conditions. Highlights of our program include:

Extensive experience: Our pediatric orthopaedic program is one of the busiest in the country. In our state-of-the-art centers in Santa Monica, Westwood and downtown Los Angeles, our experts deliver world-class care to thousands of children each year. Our pediatric orthopaedic team has decades of experience and proven success.

Full spectrum of care: We offer diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation services for children with a wide range of orthopaedic disorders. We know that support from family members results in better outcomes for kids. That’s why we work with your child and family to help you understand treatment options and feel comfortable with the plan.

Leaders in innovative treatments: Our outstanding pediatric orthopaedic specialists are nationally recognized as experts in their respective fields. We specialize in groundbreaking procedures, innovative surgical techniques and comprehensive nonsurgical care. We’re committed to offering your child the most effective treatments and the best possible results.

Tailored therapy and support: Through our dedicated programs, clinics and centers, we offer customized care for children with specific disorders, including scoliosis, clubfoot, congenital limb disorders, hemophilia, cerebral palsy and more. We focus on your child’s health so you can focus on them.

Our areas of care

Our pediatric orthopaedic experts specialize in diagnosing, treating and managing the full range of orthopaedic conditions that affect babies, children and young adults. Our programs and services include:

Advanced diagnostics

We offer EOS imaging for children with disorders affecting the spine, hips and legs. EOS technology provides high-quality 3D images with less exposure to radiation than a standard X-ray. It also allows children to stand up during the imaging process, which helps doctors see a child’s musculoskeletal system in a weight-bearing posture. This advanced imaging enables us to deliver safe, accurate diagnoses so we can provide the most effective treatments.

Pediatric orthopaedic urgent care

At our urgent care center, pediatric orthopaedists focus exclusively on kids. We offer expert care for sports injuries, fractures, sprains and strains. Your child receives convenient and comprehensive care, with an on-site pharmacy and radiology services. We also have suites for kids with sensory sensitivities. Walk-ins are always welcome.

Comprehensive cerebral palsy care

At the Center for Cerebral Palsy at UCLA/Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children, we have extensive experience treating children and adults with this condition. Our nationally recognized team includes pediatric orthopaedists, neurologists, psychologists, physical therapists and dietitians. Together, we deliver comprehensive care and innovative treatments.

Our compassionate team works with you and your child. Our goal is to empower you to manage cerebral palsy, improve quality of life and help your child reach their full potential. Through ongoing research, our experts are committed to improving cerebral palsy treatments.

Scoliosis program for children and teens

At the LuskinOIC Pediatric Scoliosis Center, we deliver coordinated care for children and teens with mild to severe scoliosis. Our renowned team offers both traditional surgery and innovative, minimally invasive procedures for scoliosis. We deliver treatments that involve less pain and minimize long-term effects on height and lung development.

State-of-the-art fracture care

The Ahmanson Foundation Fracture Center is one of the largest pediatric orthopaedic fracture centers in the United States. Our team provides expert care for children with all types of fractures. Using the most advanced technology and comprehensive on-site rehabilitation services, we help children heal properly and grow stronger. Our fracture specialists will get your child back to the activities they enjoy as soon as possible.

Premier clubfoot program

At LuskinOIC’s Center for Clubfoot, our specially trained doctors, orthotists, cast technicians and physical therapists offer the most advanced care for children with clubfoot. We use proven techniques that include stretching, casting and bracing to help your child enjoy an active life. In addition to in-person visits, we offer telemedicine consultations.

Craniofacial/cleft palate program

Recognized by the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, our program leads the nation in care for babies and children with cleft lip and cleft palate. Our multispecialty team works with your child’s pediatrician to provide comprehensive treatments. Specialists include orthodontists, speech pathologists, ENT doctors and others who are highly skilled at treating craniofacial disorders.

Bone and soft-tissue tumor program

The Musculoskeletal Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Program at LuskinOIC is one of a few centers in the U.S. dedicated to pediatric bone tumors. Our pediatric orthopaedic experts collaborate with pediatric oncologists to deliver exceptional care for children with bone and soft-tissue tumors.

The UCLA Health orthopaedic oncology program pioneered limb-sparing surgical techniques. Today we lead many clinical trials to develop new, nonchemotherapeutic approaches to treating cancer. Our specialists use leading-edge treatments to deliver the best outcomes for your child.

Spina bifida program

Our center has earned recognition from California Children’s Services (CCS) as a designated spina bifida treatment center. Experts from pediatric neurology, urology, and physical and occupational therapy come together to deliver the most comprehensive care to children with spina bifida. Our team also includes audiologists, speech-language pathologists and dietitians. We are passionate about delivering well-rounded care.

Hemophilia treatment center

LuskinOIC's Orthopaedic Hemophilia Treatment Center (OHTC) was one of the first of its kind in the world. In 1970, the Center was designated as an International Hemophilia Training Center by the World Federation of Hemophilia, one of the first four training centers in the world. For more than 50 years our experts have provided world-class, comprehensive care for people with bleeding disorders.

We use a team approach, with experts from hematology, physical therapy and orthopaedics. Our innovative treatments help you and your child manage this condition so your child can live an active life.

Sports medicine program

At the LuskinOIC Center for Sports Medicine, our pediatric sports medicine specialists treat children with a wide range of sports injuries and conditions. Pediatric orthopaedic surgeons, physical therapists and nurse practitioners come together to deliver effective treatments that minimize recovery time. We help your child get back to the activities they enjoy as quickly and safely as possible, with a focus on preventing future injuries.

Pediatric orthopaedic conditions we treat

Our pediatric orthopaedists treat all types of orthopaedic conditions that affect children and young adults. Some of the most common conditions we treat include:

Congenital disorders (conditions that are present at birth):

We partner with specialists in pediatric genetics to offer comprehensive care for genetic disorders and inherited conditions. We work with you and your family to help you learn more about the condition and to understand treatment plans. Our expertise includes treatments for:

Arthrogryposis: A disorder that involves stiffness in several joints

Cerebral palsy: Disorders that affect a child’s movement and balance

Congenital limb disorders: Clubfoot and other limb abnormalities, including differences in limb length and extra, missing or webbed fingers and toes

Brachial plexus palsy: Damage to nerves that control the arm muscles

Connective tissue disorders: Inherited or autoimmune disorders that affect connective tissues in the body, including Marfan syndrome, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus

Hemophilia: A bleeding disorder that can cause painful joint problems

Muscular dystrophy: An inherited disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness

Skeletal dysplasias/dwarfism: Conditions that affect the growth of bones and cartilage in the body, leading to short stature

Fractures and growth plate problems

We treat all types of fractures, from common to complex. Our specialists also care for growth plate fractures and other issues affecting the growth plates. We treat:

Blount’s disease: Problems with growth plates in the knees that can lead to bowed legs

Comminuted fractures: A type of fracture that shatters the bone into several pieces

Displaced fractures: Bones that shift out of place

Open fractures: Broken bones that pierce through the skin

Stable (nondisplaced) fractures: The bones are broken but still aligned

Hand trauma

Our pediatric orthopaedists have specialized knowledge and expertise treating injuries and conditions affecting the hand. These include overuse injuries and those that result from accidents. We treat:

Traumatic injuries: Severe fractures and nerve damage

Carpal tunnel syndrome: Compressed nerves in the wrist, causing difficulty grasping an object

Osteoarthritis: A type of arthritis that causes joint damage, pain and problems with mobility

Tendonitis: Inflammation in the layer of tissue that covers tendons. Tendons connect muscles to bones

Hip disorders

We are specially trained to help children with a wide range of hip problems. Some of these disorders are present at birth and some develop later in childhood. We specialize in:

Hip dysplasia: A condition that causes the ball-and-socket joint to develop abnormally

Perthes disease: A rare condition that affects the blood supply to the top of the thighbone and gradually causes the bone to die

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis: Damage to growth plates in the hip that causes the joint to shift out of place

Femoral-acetabular impingement: A condition that causes the ball of the hip joint to pinch the socket and damage cartilage in the joint

Spine disorders

Our team includes experts who have experience treating even the most complex conditions that affect the spine. Using the latest advances, we treat:

Scoliosis: Curvature of the spine

Spinal tumors: Benign and cancerous growths that develop anywhere along the spine

Spondylolysis: Stress fractures in the vertebrae

Pediatric orthopaedic treatments we offer

UCLA Health pediatric orthopaedic specialists have experience with the full range of treatments for orthopaedic conditions, disorders and injuries. Our experts offer noninvasive treatments, physical and occupational therapy and minimally invasive techniques.

If your child needs a complex surgery, they will receive expert care from experienced, highly skilled surgeons. Some of the many treatments we offer include:

Specialized treatments

Our experts treat even the most complex orthopedic disorders, including severe scoliosis, hip disorders and traumatic fractures. We offer successful treatments that relieve pain and improve function. These include:

Cerebral palsy (CP) treatments: Includes injections to relieve muscle spasticity and deep brain stimulation (DBS) to help children with involuntary movement disorders that result from CP

Bone and soft-tissue tumor treatments: A combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and surgery

Osteotomies: Surgical procedures to reshape bones; can treat scoliosis, congenital limb differences and hip disorders such as hip dysplasia

Ponseti method: A highly successful nonsurgical treatment for clubfoot, which involves three stages: stretching, casting and bracing

Scoliosis treatments: Includes bracing, minimally invasive techniques such as vertebral body tethering, surgery to implant growing rods and traditional spinal fusion

Treatments for congenital limb disorders: Procedures or devices to treat limb differences, such as leg lengthening, orthotics, artificial limbs or surgery

Skeletal dysplasia treatments: Includes growth hormone injections and surgery to correct physical abnormalities or spine problems

Sophisticated gait training

At the state-of-the-art Center for Cerebral Palsy at UCLA/LuskinOIC, we use groundbreaking technology to help children and adults with cerebral palsy. Our sophisticated motion analysis system provides 3D images of the joints while walking. These images help specialists provide the most effective therapies.

The Center also features innovative gait training using a robotic device that helps children walk and improve their gait.

Customized therapy

Experts in physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology design an individual treatment plan for your child. With specialized training in a range of disorders and injuries, our therapists are uniquely qualified to deliver effective, tailored therapies.

Meet our team

Our team includes nationally recognized leaders in pediatric orthopaedics, pediatric oncology, sports medicine and pediatric neurology. Together with experts in physical and occupational therapy, we deliver outstanding care for babies, children and young adults.