Kyphosis

For more than a century, orthopedic surgeons and investigators at Children’s Hospital Boston have played a vital role in the field of musculoskeletal research—pioneering treatment approaches and major advances in the care and treatment of conditions such as scoliosis and other spine problems, polio, tuberculosis, hip dysplasias and traumas to the hand and upper extremities.

Our pioneering research helps answer the most pressing questions in pediatric orthopedics today—so that we can provide children with the most innovative care available.

At Children’s Orthopedic Center, we take great pride in our basic science and clinical research leaders, who are recognized throughout the world for their respective achievements. Our orthopedic research team includes:

•  five full-time basic scientists
• 28 clinical investigators
• a team of research coordinators and statisticians

Our ongoing clinical trials will help pave the way for ever better kyphosis treatments. They include trials that examine the effectiveness and long-term outcomes of surgical treatment for kyphosis patients.

National study of surgical outcomes
Boston Children's Hospital is one of a select group of hospitals involved in a prospective national study to determine the surgical outcomes of patients with complex spinal deformities including kyphosis, idiopathic scoliosis, early onset infantile scoliosis and spondylolisthesis. The Division of Spinal Surgery is actively involved in the development of non-operative, minimally invasive and non-fusion techniques for treatment of spinal deformity.

Spinal program

Physicians in the CERC Spinal Program are active in several areas of ongoing basic and clinical research based at Children’s and the Harvard Orthopaedics Biomechanics Laboratory. Research topics include:

• congenital scoliosis and idiopathic scoliosis
• spondylolisthesis and spondylolysis
• bone density studies of braced patients
• in vitromechanical testing of lumbosacral fixation devices
• computer-assisted strength analysis of vertebral metastases

Pediatric and Adolescent Kyphosis Study

Our ongoing clinical studies includea prospective pediatric and adolescent kyphosis study. The main objective of this prospective multi-center, observational study is to assess outcome measures in pediatric and adolescent kyphosis patients who are being treated non-operatively or operatively with current surgical techniques. Secondarily, we are collecting data on currently available surgical approaches to treat pediatric kyphosis in the thoracic and/or thoracolumbar spine.

Orthopedic basic science laboratories

Some of the leading musculoskeletal researchers in the nation are working in our labs, including:

• Orthopedic Basic Science Research Laboratory
• Center for the Study of Genetic Skeletal Disorders
• Sports Medicine Research Laboratory
• Bone Cell Biology Laboratory
• Harris Laboratory

  Children speak: What’s it like to be a medical research subject?
  View a video of a day in the life of Children’s Clinical and Translational Study Unit, captured through the eyes of children who are “giving back” to science.