Pediatric Orthopedics

Top-quality orthopedic care for children recognizes the important differences between their young and growing bones and the mature bones of adults. The pediatric orthopedic specialists at Cottage Health know the unique activity levels and physical and mental needs of children—newborns to age 21—and tailor treatments to match your child’s specific condition, at their specific stage of physical and social development.

Conditions We Treat

From broken bones to congenital malformations and complex injuries, you’ll find exceptional orthopedic care for your child’s bones and joints at Cottage Health. Orthopedic conditions we treat include:

• Cerebral Palsy: This neurologic condition may be diagnosed by your pediatrician and then treated by a team of experts including your child's orthopedic surgeon, physical and occupational therapists, nurses, and social workers. Please refer to the California Children's Services (CCS) website if you have not already been referred.
• Elbow Disorders: Treatment for such diverse conditions as "little league elbow", osteochondritis dessicans, and cubitus varus (post traumatic deformity). Please refer to the POSNA.org website for description of the different elbow disorders our physicians treat.
• Foot Disorders: Our physicians treat clubfeet using the Ponseti method. Other types of deformities are treated with the most advanced techniques to allow for improved mechanics and pain relief. Please refer to the POSNA.org website for further description of foot disorders treated at Cottage Health.
• Fractures / Growth Plate Injuries: Children are not small adults but in fact are dynamic in the growth and remodeling of their musculoskeletal system. Due to the unique characteristics of the growing skeletal system, techniques for treating traumatic injuries in children are vastly different from those used to treat similar injuries in adults. The growth and remodeling potential of pediatric bone usually allows for the selection of much less invasive techniques while restoring a rapid return to pre-injury activity. Please refer to the POSNA.org website for description of different fractures in children that our physicians treat in state of the art fashion.
• Gait disturbances includes intoeing, outtoeing, knock knees and bowlegs. Our physicians can perform a gait evaluation and give proper guidance regarding the necessity of intervention and the best methods of treatment. Often gait "abnormalities" are merely the normal progression of childhood development and only require watchful waiting for skeletal remodeling to occur.
  Please refer to the POSNA.org website for description of the different gait disturbance conditions our physicians treat.
• Hip Dysplasia: This condition is treated in newborns in conjunction with Dr. Jim Benzian who performs hip ultrasound procedures to monitor progress of treatment. If surgery is necessary, our fellowship trained orthopedic surgeons use their knowledge and expertise to optimize outcomes. Please refer to the POSNA.org website for description of hip dysplasia treatment used by our physicians.
• Knee Problems: Some of the most common complaints in growing children and adolescents include osgood schlatter, patellar instability, osteochondritis dessicans, meniscal tears, ligament injuries, and overuse injuries. Our surgeons will guide treatment to allow for return to full activity.
• Limb Length Inequality: Our surgeons use the most state of the art treatments including guided growth (temporarily tethering the growth plate of the longer leg with small metal plates in order to allow the shorter leg to catch up and equalize leg length). Other options utilized at Cottage Health include use of the spatial frame and intramedullary lengthening rods with magnetic motors.
• Scoliosis: Our fellowship trained physicians treat patients with congenital, neuromuscular, and idiopathic scoliosis from the tri-county area and beyond. Non-surgical options are always the first line of treatment when indicated. Should surgical treatment be necessary, our Spinal Deformity Surgical Team has demonstrated outstanding outcomes in the surgical correction of scoliosis and kyphotic deformity for over 10 years. Please refer to the POSNA.org website for description of the different scoliosis conditions our physicians treat.
• Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis: "Sports Spine" is a common low back pain complaint in teens that is treated by our physicians. Physical Therapy, bracing, and surgery are option for treatment. Please refer to the POSNA.org website for description of the different "Sports Spine" treatments used by our physicians.

Services We Offer

Choose Cottage Health for the full spectrum of pediatric orthopedic services. After a comprehensive evaluation, our specialists develop a care plan that best fits your child’s needs. Then, we begin treatment with the least invasive/most conservative measures possible. Options may include:

• Orthopedic Surgery
  • Arthroscopic and minimally invasive surgery
  • Spinal deformity correction
  • Correction of limb length inequality and angular deformity
  • Hip dysplasia, perthes, hip pain
  • Foot deformity correction
• Orthopedic Trauma and fracture care
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: for critically injured children or post operative care of at risk children with complex, medical conditions requiring multidisciplinary care
• Physical and Occupational Therapy to conservatively restore balance to the growing child and allow return to full function

Pediatric Orthopedic Trauma Care

Expect the best care for traumatic orthopedic injuries in children at Cottage Health. Our Verified Level 2 Pediatric Trauma Center—recognized by Santa Barbara County Emergency Medical Services—serves the entire Central California Coast and is the only one of its kind between Los Angeles and San Jose.

Family-Centered Orthopedic Care For Your Child

When you need care for your child’s bones and joints, you want specialists who understand the healing potential of a growing child and who appreciate how a child’s injury or health condition affects the entire family. That’s exactly what you’ll find at Cottage Health. You benefit from:

• The extensive experience of our fellowship-trained doctors—the only ones between Los Angeles and the Bay Area—who are specially trained to consider how a child’s growing body contributes significantly to the healing process
• Access to a wide range of pediatric subspecialists who stand ready to treat virtually all orthopedic-related conditions in children
• Personal care and special attention to make your child’s treatment and hospital stay as positive as possible
• Direct evaluation and treatment from our pediatric orthopedic doctors and medical staff, who build long-term relationships with your family and your child
• A comprehensive plan of care that gives your child the best outcome with as little interruption of family dynamics as possible

Learn more about injury prevention in children, including helmet safety, concussion, and child car seat safety. Find out how our ThinkFirst: Injury Prevention for Kids program can improve safety in your community.