Archive for orthopedics
Always an athlete: Drew and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
When he looks back on the diagnosis that forced him to stop playing sports entirely for more than a year, 11-year-old Drew Coperine is philosophical. “There is a bright side,” he says, “there is an end to it.” But when he first learned that he had Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, a degenerative hip condition, it was hard ... Read More
One family, two very different clubfoot experiences
Theresah Boateng and her daughter Eno Agyapomaa Agyemang both have strong wills and outgoing personalities. Both were born with a foot deformity called clubfoot, and both received treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital. Yet their experiences differ in many ways. Theresah’s treatment started when she was 15 years old and lasted more than two years. Eno’s ... Read More
A minimally invasive surgical option for children with flexible flatfoot
Most children with flexible flatfoot, a common condition in which arches do not develop in the feet, don’t need surgery, or any medical intervention at all. The few who do need surgery typically face a complicated procedure and a long recovery. Dr. Susan Mahan travelled to Italy to learn the procedure from the surgeon who ... Read More
Generations of excellence in caring for childhood bone cancers: Dr. Gebhardt and Dr. Anderson
When Dr. Mark Gebhardt was a surgical resident at Boston Children’s Hospital in the early ’80s, doctors were just starting to use chemotherapy to treat bone cancers like osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma. Boston Children’s and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute were among the first places to offer this treatment. They were also among the first to ... Read More
A new option for teens with painful bunions
Bunions, bumps at the base of the big toes, are probably not at the top of most kids’ list of concerns. Adults, particularly adult women, are far more likely to develop bunions, possibly after years of wearing tight shoes that squeeze their toes. In children and teens who have them, bunions are almost always an ... Read More
With a dose of health equity, brachial plexus study enrolls more patients
What drives a parent to say yes or no to enrolling their child in research? When a surprisingly high percent of patient families said no to participating in a study of brachial plexus birth injury, orthopedic surgeon Andrea Bauer, MD, and her team decided to find out why. Along the way, they became versed in ... Read More
After two ACL tears, a skier reconnects with her body and her sport
The memory remains vivid in Sophia’s mind. Racing down a slalom course at top speed, she hit a patch of bad snow. “The next thing I knew, I was launched up in the air. My legs were above me and I lost sight of my right leg. I felt my right knee twist and I ... Read More
Fingers, shoulders, and everything in between: Three upper extremity surgeons and their relentless quest for solutions
It’s 6 a.m. and the surgeons in the Hand and Orthopedic Upper Extremity Program at Boston Children’s Hospital have logged on for their weekly meeting. “We meet first thing every Monday to discuss our complex cases,” says orthopedic surgeon Dr. Carley Vuillermin. “It gives us a chance to talk through treatment options for our patients ... Read More
A malunion fracture, baseball, and M&M cookies: Tyler’s story
Tyler Weygand loves baseball, and he’s good at it. Good enough that few balls ever get past him in the infield. So good that for nearly ten years, his parents and coaches in Saratoga, NY didn’t realize he could not rotate his left arm due to a malunion fracture. A fracture that healed out of ... Read More
Not just a physical thing: The psychology of sports injuries and recovery
“Nobody plays sports expecting to get injured, but unfortunately, injuries are part of sports,” says Melissa Christino, MD. As a surgeon in the Sports Medicine Division at Boston Children’s Hospital, Christino helps athletes recover from sports injuries, some of which keep her patients on the sidelines for weeks or months at a time. Key takeaways ... Read More