Children are not just small adults. This is especially true when it comes to childrens' bones and joints, and the problems they can have with their musculoskeletal system. A pediatric orthopedist is the best-trained and most experienced doctor to properly evaluate and treat bone, joint or muscle problems in a child who is still growing.
A pediatric orthopedic surgeon is a doctor who takes care of children with musculoskeletal problems. That means any child with a bone, joint, or muscle problem or disease and certain nerve problems and diseases.
If your child has something wrong with his or her arms, legs, hands, feet or spine, a pediatric orthopedist is most likely to be the most appropriate doctor to see. Pediatric orthopedists take care of:
Abnormalities in how children walk
Differences in leg lengths
Deformities that are present at birth such as clubfeet and dislocated hips
Deformities that develop later in childhood such as crooked legs and curved spines (scoliosis)
A pediatric orthopedist also takes care of acute problems such as:
Broken bones
Infections in bones or joints
Tumors in bones
New treatment options for broken bones are now available. Sanford Clinic Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is dedicated to treating children with a broad range of conditions. Please download the Fracture Remodeling brochure for more information.
For same day service for pediatric orthopedic concerns contact the Sanford Children's Bone Clinic, at Sanford Clinic Orthopedics & Sports Medicine under the direction of Geoffrey Haft, MD. The Sanford Children's Bone Clinic is a dedicated clinic for acute or urgent pediatric orthopedic problems. This unique program provides predictable same day access for children (age 15 and under) with acute or subacute fractures, limps, infections, or other urgent musculoskeletal problems.
A child's orthopedic problems are different than those of an adult. Because children are still growing, their body's response to injuries, infections and deformities may be quite different than what would it would be in a full-grown person. Many of the problems children have with their bones and joints don't even occur in adults.
