Orthopedic Program

Family resources

patient and family in exam room We believe that exceptional medical care begins with excellent customer service. We understand that going to the hospital or doctor’s office can be a pretty scary experience for children and parents alike. So, from the moment you step into our doors, we strive to make your overall patient experience as pleasant as possible by providing excellent customer service throughout all aspects of our department.

This includes preparing your child for a difficult procedure or using coping techniques during a procedure to reduce pain, fear and anxiety.

Our doctors, nurses, specialists and other staff are not only highly-skilled, they’re also expert listeners. Each one of our staff members will make sure to communicate with you every step of the way during your child’s visit. This approach ensures that you are fully aware of all aspects of your child’s condition, recommended procedures, prescribed medicines and their potential side-effects.

Resources

Planning a visit to the Orthopedic Center? Check out your Your Orthopedic Visit page for helpful information on what you can expect.

School Nurse's Guide to Scoliosis (interactive pdf 5mb)
What to look for, how it's treated-- and what it's like to live with. A scoliosis e-book for School Nurse's and other professionals.

Bone health awareness tip sheet (pdf 550kb)
Bone is living, growing tissue, so building strong bones throughout childhood can help kids stay strong through adulthood, and help prevent osteoporosis.

Clubfoot patient information (pdf 132kb)

Cast types and maintenance instructions

Walking with crutches

Patient stories

For kids with cerebral palsy, quality of life is paramount
Thriving Dec 21, 2012
Giving kids a better quality of life means giving them the best care possible. “All of us (physicians) in the program have an ongoing dialogue about each individual patient, and those combined perspectives help provide much more comprehensive, well-rounded care,” says Benjamin Shore, MD, orthopedic surgeon at Boston Children’s CP Program . . .

Out of Africa, and into your hearts
The Sun Nov 29, 2012
Soon, Theresa Boateng, the 15-year-old Ghanian girl living with two club feet, may be physically be able to jump for joy to express the emotion she's feeling now...

Step by step, a miracle in the making
The Sun Nov 24, 2012 As Theresa Boateng, the teenage girl with the doubly deformed feet , listened anxiously from a poor village on Africa's west coast, the call ...

After surgeries, Gloversville teen strides toward a career in health care
The Leader-Herald Oct 21, 2012
Jenn Sprung was an avid field hockey player when she learned she had bilateral hip dysplasia -- prompting her to undergo two career-ending surgeries within a year. But the experience gave her a new perspective on life, and even inspired her to pursue college in hopes of specializing in pediatric oncology.

Bone up on bone health
Thriving Oct 19, 2012
October 19th is World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day, so it's time to bone up on bone health. Though we've all heard the basics of why kids should drink milk and build strong bones, this day serves as a reminder of why it's so important.

Helping a teenage athlete stay hip
Thriving, Aug 22, 2012
It was another day at field hockey practice for Jenn Sprung. The 14-year-old from Gloversville, NY was running and playing with her team when a sharp pain through her right leg made her stop.

'Love for Alyssa': Examining arthrogryposis
CNN.com, July 2, 2012
Arthrogryposis has presented many challenges to Alyssa Jadyn Hagstrom. At just 8 years old, the condition has left her with no use of her legs and arms, and limited use of her fingers.

Angela McNeeley: Developmental hip dysplasia
After being referred to an orthopedic doctor at Boston Children's Hospital, Angela was diagnosed with developmental dysplasia of the hip, which means she had a problem with formation of her hip joint. She was 5 years old at the time.

Saving Sydney's bones from breaking
Ivanhoe Broadcast News reports on Boston Children’s patient, Sydney Pardi, who has osteogenesis imperfect and is treated by Samantha Spencer, MD. Dr. Spencer inserted telescopic rods into Sydney’s legs to help support her brittle bones and give her a better quality of life.

Going above and beyond for patients

Jillena DeCarteret: From the operating room to the winners podium

Caitlynne McGaff: Choosing the challenge

Visceria Givans: Living with scoliosis

Gracie Lavigne: Saving Gracie

Kendra Heimlicher: A young woman's struggler with scoliosis

Collin Link: A big-time injury striking little players' knees

Nathan Winslow: Vertebral stapling - innovative scoliosis surgery

Kevin Egan: Our right hand man

Katie Brennan: "Hip" to knee pain

Olga Stupak: Idiopathic scoliosis

Megan Williams: Keepying an eye on the curve