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Research & Innovation

The Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Department plays a vital role in advancing orthopedic medicine through basic research into the underlying mechanisms of disease, and through clinical research into the safety and efficacy of orthopedic treatments.

Clinical research

Our clinical research explores the accuracy of diagnostic methods and the impact of treatment on patients at various stages of growth and development.

An X-ray image of flatfoot
Novel procedure may bridge the treatment gap for symptomatic flexible flatfoot

A minimally invasive procedure developed in Spain could change the game for patients with symptomatic flexible flatfoot in the U.S.

Learn about flatfoot treatment
Illustration showing structure of neck and spinal column
In cases of pediatric cervical spine instability, two attending surgeons are better than one

How two attending surgeons — a neurosurgeon and orthopedic surgeon, both with defined roles in the OR — collaborate on complex cervical spine deformities.

Learn about the surgery
Illustration of gymnast making a move on balance beam
From injury to backflips: A path to recovery for gymnasts

A set of return-to-gymnastics protocols for five common upper extremity injuries provide step-by-step guidelines to help gymnasts rebuild strength and stability.

Learn about the recovery process
Adolescents with scoliosis show off their braces.
Bracing could change the game in scoliosis treatment

If surgeons could predict which patients are least likely to adhere to bracing, they may be able to intervene and improve patient outcomes.
 

Read about brace adherence
Illustration: Graphic shows fillable form, a notebook, a pen, against a blue cloud background
Cannabis use and surgery: What we don't know

Marijuana use is rising among adolescents, but clinical documentation has not kept up. That hinders research.
 

Read about cannabis and surgery
Two physicians study an image of the bones and ligaments of the knee.
What's the best ACL surgery for young athletes?

Do age and gender affect how well patients do after ACL surgery? Centers around the U.S. are looking for answers.
 

Read about ACL treatment
Learn about our clinical orthopedic research

Basic research

Our basic and translational research tackles such questions as how diseases that affect the skeletal system originate and how this knowledge can be used to develop new treatments.

Engineered cartilage samples approximately the size of a pea.
Engineered cartilage and osteoarthritis

Researchers are developing a procedure to generate tissues that could be used to repair damaged cartilage and stop disease progression.
 

Read about engineered cartilage
Illustration of structure of the hip, along with a checklist
AI and hip preservation

VirtualHip combines AI and 3D imaging to provide detailed information on hip disorders for improved diagnosis and surgical planning.
 

Read about hip preservation
Matthew Harris looks at a model to try and find skeletal disorders in fish
Understanding skeletal disorders by studying fish

From Antarctic ice fish to Caribbean flying fish, Matthew Harris studies a variety of skeletal traits that may shed light on human skeletal conditions.

Read about fish models

Innovations in pediatric orthopedic care

Below are some of the innovations developed at Boston Children’s that are advancing orthopedic care:

  • Improved surgical method for a common knee injury: Bridge-enhanced ACL restoration (BEAR), the first medical technology to enable healing of a torn anterior cruciate ligament instead of replacing it with a ligament from another part of the body.
  • More informed diagnosis and treatment of hip deformities: VirtualHip, an application that uses artificial intelligence and 3D modeling to help surgeons diagnose hip deformities and plan surgeries with greater accuracy.
  • Scoliosis treatment without anesthesia: Bracing for infantile scoliosis, replacing casting and the need for anesthesia with infants and toddlers. 
  • Spinal fusion safety and accuracy: Pioneering use of robotic surgical guidance to increase the accuracy and safety of spinal fusion surgery.