CHOC Orthopaedic Institute on the Leading Edge of Medicine

The CHOC Children’s Orthopaedic Institute—the only pediatric orthopaedic program of its kind in the region—continues to grow in its third year with new programs and surgical innovations.

According to Dr. Afshin Aminian, medical director of the Orthopaedic Institute, “the Orthopaedic Institute at CHOC has grown tremendously in the past year. We’ve added new members to our team, pioneered new surgical procedures and developed several new programs. These achievements complement the full spectrum of pediatric orthopaedic care we already provide to our patients.”

In 2008, a team of specialists assembled through the Orthopaedic Institute’s Musculoskeletal Tumor program used reconstructive surgery to save the limb of a patient with bone cancer—the first limb salvage surgery ever performed at CHOC.

While bone cancer in an extremity like the arm or leg is rare, it can still be a challenge to treat the malignancy and while preserving limb function and form. In the past, these cancers were treated by amputation with relatively poor functional results. Over the last 30 years, limb salvage has evolved, and this technique has been proven a safe and effective alternative in most cases.

“There are exciting new developments in limb reconstruction today,” Dr. Aminian explains. “We can now use implants matched to the patient’s size, stronger metals, bone and soft tissue transplants, microvascular and muscle transfer procedures, and bone graft substitutes. These techniques all allow limbs to be restored while preserving their function. There are even devices that can be expanded or ‘grown’ for children to account for normal skeletal growth lost with limb preservation.”

Last year, the CHOC orthopaedic surgical team, lead by Dr. Francois Lalonde, also performed the first-ever periacetabular osteotomy at CHOC—a complex hip surgery designed to prevent early arthritis of the hip.

In addition, the orthopaedic team moved into its new clinic space last spring in the Ambulatory Care Center at CHOC. The space allows for patients to be seen in a dedicated orthopaedic clinic, with rooms designated for casting, consultation and exams.

In 2009, the Orthopaedic Institute plans to roll out its Fracture Management program to allow timely expert care of pediatric fractures. Also in the works is a new sports medicine clinic focusing on injury prevention, lead by Dr. John Schlechter.

“We want to keep the Orthopaedic Institute dynamic and growing,” Dr. Aminian concludes. “As new treatment modalities and surgical innovations are developed, we plan to be at the forefront of providing them to our patients.”