Orthopedic Center

Whether it’s a broken arm, a sports-related injury or the most complex condition, Boston Children's Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Department is committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate care for pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients. We are honored to be recognized as the one of the nation's best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.

Established in 1903, we are one of the world’s largest and most experienced pediatric orthopedic centers. Every year, we attend to more than 100,000 patient visits and complete approximately 6,000 surgeries. Our Orthopedic Urgent Care Clinic offers fast access to care at locations throughout Massachusetts. We are committed to providing the best possible care for every patient we treat.

In our specialty programs and clinics, we treat the full spectrum of orthopedic conditions — ranging from fractures and sports-related injuries to scoliosis, hip conditions, brachial plexus, and cerebral palsy. We blend cutting-edge treatments and surgical approaches (when needed) with prompt, family-centered care. Our advanced imaging capabilities help us provide the most accurate diagnosis.

Our treatments and innovations have evolved over the past century, but our philosophy has never changed: to relentlessly provide the best orthopedic care and patient service possible in order to improve the quality of life for our patients. We’re here for your family and are committed to support you every step of the way.

Boston Children’s Hospital’s Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Department is recognized across the world as the top center for the care of children, adolescents, and young adults with developmental, congenital, neuromuscular, sports injuries, and post-traumatic problems of the musculoskeletal system.

We are honored to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals. Our orthopedic team offers complete care for a wide variety of congenital and acquired disorders, including a full range of associated services, including physical and occupational therapy, sports medicine, and orthotic and prosthetic devices.

We are respected throughout the world for the scope of our expertise. Whether it’s a straightforward fracture or a highly complex case, we work with our patients and their families to ensure the best possible quality of life for every child under our care.

View the full list of orthopedic conditions we treat.

When you or a loved one visits the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Department, you will see a host of talented and dedicated professionals working collaboratively to provide the most comprehensive orthopedic care.

Boston Children's is the primary pediatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, where our physicians hold faculty appointments. Medical residents and fellows are important team members who provide a unique perspective and component of care to our patients.

By working as a close-knit team, we conduct comprehensive evaluations of your child's condition and develop specialized treatments to reduce pain and return them to normal function. This collaborative approach allows us to treat the entire range of physical and psychological challenges our patients face. It also helps us provide a more accurate diagnosis, improved pain management, and prompt and effective treatment.

We’re proud to offer an approach to care that puts patients first. We’re also proud of our leadership in pediatric orthopedics. We are the largest pediatric orthopedic center in the nation, with more than 25 orthopedic surgeons and more than 15 primary care sports medicine physicians. We also have 13 specialty clinics, an on-site brace shop, plaster room, and an interdisciplinary team that includes:

• orthopedic surgeons
• sports medicine physicians
• non-operative orthopedic physicians
• sports medicine psychologists
• podiatrists
• physiatrists
• dietitians
• residents and fellows
• physician assistants
• nurse practitioners
• RNs
• athletic trainers
• a full team of physical/occupational therapists, and brace and cast technicians

With a long history of excellence and innovation and a team of clinicians and researchers at the forefront of orthopedic research and care, it's no surprise that Boston Children's is home to many firsts in orthopedic treatment. Each year, our staff attends to more than 100,000 patient visits, and performs more than 6,000 surgical procedures.

Our specialties and innovations include:

• extensive experience treating all types of scoliosis and spinal disorders and pioneering use of robotic surgical guidance through our Spine Division
• over 2,000 periacetabular osteotomies performed through our Child and Adult Hip Preservation Program
• the largest Hand and Orthopedic Upper Extremity Program in the United States, which provides expertise in advanced techniques of care for complex congenital anomalies, fractures, and neurovascular and soft tissue injuries to the hand and upper extremity
• pioneer in the development of growth plate-sparing ACL surgeries for young athletes and landmark research on ACL repair
• leaders of an international multi-center research study in brachial plexus birth palsy
• founders of the first pediatric sports medicine clinic in the nation and leaders in research-based sports injury prevention with 40,000 patient visits every year
• one of the first centers in the nation to use adjuvant chemotherapy and limb salvage surgery for patients with osteosarcoma
• one of the largest and most comprehensive cerebral palsy centers, offering surgical intervention, non-surgical therapy, and a focus on preventive care
• the oldest and largest comprehensive center for the care of spina bifida
• Orthopedic Clinical Effectiveness Research Center, established to translate science into care and improve the quality of life of children with musculoskeletal disorders

In addition to providing excellent clinical care, many of our physicians conduct pioneering research studies to get answers to the most pressing questions in pediatric orthopedics today, all in an effort to provide your child with the most innovative care available.

Our researchers study trauma, hip problems, ACL reconstruction, scoliosis, concussion recovery, growth disorders, as well as many other areas. Their work has resulted in numerous publications in prestigious journals, including the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and Journal of Hand Surgery.