Orthopedic Research

At Nemours Children's, we're proud to offer one of the largest, most respected pediatric orthopedics practices in the United States — and the world. We're international leaders in pediatric orthopedic research and medical care, and have been throughout our long history of advancing orthopedic care and research. In 1940, we opened the Alfred I. duPont Institute, a pediatric orthopedic hospital in Wilmington, Del.

Under the direction of Alfred R. Shands, MD, the first medical director, the hospital quickly became world renowned for clinical care and research in pediatric orthopedics.

Research Stories

Areas of Research

A Wealth of Pediatric Orthopedic Research

Building on the foundation of excellence in pediatric orthopedic care, Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware is a full-service pediatric hospital that’s named by U.S. News & World Report, year after year, as among the nation’s best children's hospitals in pediatric orthopedics and other specialties.

 

In the 2018-2019 rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked our pediatric orthopedics program among the top six in the country.

 

Our current pediatric orthopedic research at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware primarily involves developing new treatments and determining which current treatments and therapies best influence positive outcomes for children. We also follow how certain treatments affect a child’s quality of life and function over time. Our research covers a breadth of orthopedic conditions.

 

Our special areas of focus include:

 

We also actively perform research in many additional areas such as:

 

Research Areas of Focus


Multicenter Research Projects and Collaborations

Additionally, members of our department are associated with multi-center research projects, including:

 

The Department of Orthopedics has collaborated with the following institutions:

  • Columbia University/NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital – New York City
  • Drexel University – Philadelphia
  • Johns Hopkins Hospital – Baltimore
  • New York University School of Medicine – New York City
  • Shriners Hospital – Montreal
  • Shriners Hospital – Philadelphia
  • Temple University – Philadelphia
  • Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children – Dallas
  • University Medical Center of Utrecht – Utrecht, Netherlands
  • University of Delaware – Newark, Del.
  • University of Zagreb (Zagreb, Croatia)
  • Washington University – St. Louis
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Worcester, Mass.


Spine and Scoliosis

We actively participate in retrospective and prospective outcomes research aimed at improving care for kids everywhere with spinal deformities such as scoliosis, kyphosis and spondylolisthesis.

 

We’re part of:

 

A few of our current studies includes:

  • Dual rod instrumentation with limited fusion for the treatment of progressive early onset scoliosis
  • Algorithm study of the surgical correction of idiopathic scoliosis (with the Setting Scoliosis Straight Foundation, formerly the Harms Study Group Foundation)
  • Prospective Scheuermann's kyphosis study (with the Setting Scoliosis Straight Foundation)
  • Post-op motion preservation below thoracic spine fusions in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)
  • Prospective study of scoliosis in children with cerebral palsy
  • BrAIST 2: minimum 2-year follow-up, “The Use of TLSOs in the Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Study”
  • Minimize implants maximize outcomes clinical trial protocol, “A Multicenter, Randomized Clinical Trial of Low vs. High Implant Density in the Surgical Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis”
  • Sagittal spino-pelvic alignment in the normal growing spine
  • Growing rods in skeletal dysplasia
  • Cervical spine in Morquio

Our physicians are frequent presenters at conferences around the world, and have even appeared in television, radio and newspaper media. In the past seven years alone, members of the program have published more than 90 papers on spinal conditions.

 

The spine team includes the following physicians:

 

The physicians associated with cerebral palsy research have presented at the following national and international orthopedic conferences within the past 5 years:

View Clinical Trials
View Our Presentations and Conference Activity 

 

Cerebral Palsy

The cerebral palsy pediatric orthopedic research program at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware is currently involved in numerous projects related to patient care. These studies are both retrospective (looking at patient experiences from the past) and prospective (asking for permission to collect data as it happens during standard care). Since the 1990s, we’ve been at the forefront of researching when to treat cerebral palsy conservatively and when to recommend surgical treatment.

 

Our cerebral palsy program is currently involved in more than 30 studies, including the following areas:

  • Baclofen pump — a pump used to treat muscle spasticity (tightness)
  • Basic science (research performed in the lab on cells and tissues, as opposed to research done in the clinical setting with patients)
  • Biobank tissue (bone, muscle and ligament) analysis and relationship to cerebral palsy diagnosis
  • Orthotics and prosthetics
  • Conservative and surgical treatment techniques and the effect on patient-centered outcomes
  • Fitness
  • Gait and motion analysis (gait is how a person walks)
  • Genetics
  • Infection rate
  • Medical imaging (X-ray and MRI)
  • Mortality

We’re presently building a neuromuscular database using new tablet technology to collect patient clinical and outcomes data. The goal is to better understand the natural history of the disease. The database works with our comprehensive electronic medical records system so that we have an understanding of each patient’s overall medical condition. When finished, the database will allow our clinicians to more easily see changes over time related to patient diagnoses, and to provide evidence-based treatment decisions.

A significant amount of cerebral palsy pediatric orthopedic research is completed in Gait Analysis Laboratory, which averages about 600 patients per year. A team of biomechanists, engineers specially trained to apply the laws of mechanics and physics to the human body, run the hardware and software necessary for data collection, process the data to generate graphics for the final report, and maintain the wide array of technical equipment in the lab.

 

Testing at the Gait Analysis Laboratory may include the following types of analysis:

  • Movement of various joints
  • How the muscles contract
  • Pressure on the limbs
  • The amount of energy required to make changes in a child’s gait

The physicians associated with cerebral palsy research have presented at the following national and international orthopedic conferences within the past five years:

In all, the program has published 42 papers on cerebral palsy in just the past seven years.

 

The research team includes the following physicians:

View Our Presentations and Conference Activity 

 


Skeletal Dysplasia

The Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware skeletal dysplasia program is currently involved in numerous research projects related to patient care. These studies are both retrospective (looking at patient experiences from the past) and prospective (asking for permission to collect data as it happens during standard care).

The skeletal dysplasia program is currently involved with pediatric orthopedic research that includes the following areas:

  • Basic science (research in the lab, working with cells and tissues)
  • Biobank tissue (bone, muscle and ligament) analysis and the relationship to cerebral palsy diagnosis
  • Bioengineering (through the Center for Orthopedics Research and Development/CORD)
  • Conservative and surgical treatment techniques and the effect on patient-centered outcomes
  • Gait and motion analysis (gait is how a person walks)
  • Genetics
  • Health-related quality of life outcomes
  • Medical imaging (X-ray and MRIs)

Diagnoses currently being studied include:

  • Articular cartilage disorders
  • Growth plate disorders
  • Hip deformity (including dysplastic hip and Varus/Valgus hip)
  • Knee deformity (including Varus/Valgus knee)
  • Limb length deformity/discrepancy
  • Scoliosis
  • Spine deformity and instability

We study a wide range of skeletal dysplasia conditions, including:

  • Achondroplasia
  • Acromesomelic dysplasia
  • Camptomelia
  • Cartilage hair hypoplasia
  • Chondrodysplasia punctata
  • Cleidocranial dysplasia
  • Conradi-Hünermann syndrome
  • Costello syndrome
  • Desbuquois syndrome
  • Diastrophic dysplasia
  • Dyggve-Melchior-Clausen syndrome
  • Ellis-van Creveld syndrome
  • Enchondromatosis
  • Camurati-Englemann disease
  • Frontometaphyseal dysplasia
  • Grebe syndrome
  • Hemihypertrophy
  • Hunter syndrome
  • Hypochondroplasia
  • Jeune syndrome
  • Kabucki syndrome
  • Kneist
  • Larsens syndrome
  • Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis Marfan syndrome
  • Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome
  • Melorheostosis Melnick-Needles syndrome
  • Mesomelic dysplasia
  • Metaphyseal dysplasia
  • Metatropic dysplasia
  • Morquio syndrome
  • Multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED)
  • Multiple exostoses
  • Otospondylomegaepiphyseal dysplasia
  • Primordial dwarfism
  • Pseudoachondroplasia
  • Pseudorhematoid dysplasia
  • Russell-Siher
  • Schwachman-Diamond syndrome
  • Sponastrine dysplasia
  • Spondyloephiphyseal dysplasia (SED)
  • Stickler syndrome
  • Trichorhinophalangeal dysplasia

Our pediatric orthopedic physicians and pediatric orthopedic research team members collaborate with other physicians (nationally and internationally) to study how different treatments affect patients. We also conduct comprehensive research in the Gait Analysis Laboratory.

Our physicians have presented at the following national and international orthopedic conferences within the past 5 years:

In addition, Nemours’ experts in skeletal dysplasia have delivered hundreds of lectures and published an equal amount of book chapters and papers in medical journals.

The interdisciplinary, core research team includes:

Physicians

Advanced Practice Nurse

  • Colleen Ditro, MSN, CPNP, coordinates the program and works with Dr. Mackenzie and all the patients who come to us from all over the world

Genetic Counselor

  • Angela Duker, MS, LCGC, coordinates the program and works with Dr. Bober and all the patients who come to us from all over the world

View Clinical Trials
View Our Presentations and Conference Activity 

 

 

Sports Medicine

Our sports medicine physicians have been and are principal investigators in sports medicine-related research studies.

 

A few of our current studies include:

  • Predictors of patellofemoral issues (problems stemming from the relationship between the knee and femur, or thigh bone).
  • Dynamic ultrasound of the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow in pediatric baseball pitchers.
  • Single leg stance: validation of a scoring system and establishment of natural history.
  • The effect of a 6-week core stability training program on running mechanics of uninjured adolescent runners.
  • Orthopedic and medical injuries sustained by varsity high school athletes.

Our Sports Medicine experts at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware are frequently invited as lecturers and presenters at conferences, and often appear in national and local television, radio and newspaper media outlets. Nemours’ sports medicine experts also have authored or co-authored book chapters and numerous papers in medical journals.

 

The research team includes:

  • Alfred Atanda, Jr., MD, surgical director of the Sports Medicine Program, pediatric orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist

Our physicians have presented at the following national and international orthopedic conferences within the past 5 years:

View Clinical Trials
View Our Presentations and Conference Activity 

 

 

Disorders of the Hip

At Nemours, hip disorders we treat and study include developmental dysplasia, Perthes and slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE).

Our pediatric orthopedic experts participate in a variety of studies on these conditions, including:

  • Review of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (a childhood hip disorder caused by a disruption of blood flow to the ball of the femur called the femoral head)
  • Valgus osteotomy of the proximal femur for hip impingement following Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
  • Comparison of 3-D ultrasound and 2-D ultrasound of hips of children within a screening program of DDH
  • Potential role of 3-D ultrasound in infants hips
  • Outcomes following treatment for dysplastic hips

The research team has been led by J. Richard Bowen, MD, pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. Dr. Bowen is a frequent invited lecturer and presenter at conferences, and has authored or co-authored numerous book chapters and papers in medical journals, including 28 in the past 7 years alone.

Our physicians have presented at the following national and international orthopedic conferences within the past 5 years:

View Our Presentations and Conference Activity 

 

 

Center for Orthopedics Research and Development (CORD)

Together with our Center for Orthopedics Research and Development (CORD), we develop devices and methods that directly impact children with musculoskeletal and orthopedic disabilities. CORD works closely with our Gait Analysis Laboratory to provide the physicians with three-dimensional motion analysis of their patients’ gait cycles.

CORD also works with regional academic institutions, including Drexel University, the University of Delaware and the University of Pennsylvania, to conduct comprehensive research and to pool our collective resources and expertise.

 

Nemours Pediatric Engineering Research Lab (PERL)

The Nemours Pediatric Engineering Research Lab (PERL) works with devices and therapies that assist and rehabilitate children with neuromuscular disabilities and orthopedic disorders such as muscular dystrophy (MD), spinal muscular atrophy, scoliosis, arthrogryposis, spinal cord injury and limb length discrepancies.

PERL’s biomedical engineers and students work with the clinicians at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware to conceive and develop engineering solutions to medical problems. The lab has affiliations with Drexel University and University of Delaware, and works with a number of companies to manufacture and market devices conceived and developed at PERL — both for children in our own hospitals and pediatric practices, as well as for children outside of our pediatric health system.

One current project seeks to accurately measure gait and activity while children are in their everyday environments. We’re developing a small, unobtrusive gait and activity sensor that’s affordable and accurate for children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy.

Learn More

Principal investigators

The Department of Orthopedics is fortunate to have excellent leadership, physicians and pediatric orthopedic researchers. Our physician leaders participate or play a leadership role in a variety of clinical trials, studies and national organizations.

 

William G. Mackenzie, MD

William G. Mackenzie, MD, is chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at the Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. Dr. Mackenzie is the preeminent expert in skeletal dysplasia and one of the most respected pediatric orthopedic surgeons in the world. He is the chairman of the medical advisory board for Little People of America, medical director of the Dwarf Athletic Association of America, and is a past president of the Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society.

 

Dr. Mackenzie earned his medical degree and completed his internship and residency at the University of British Columbia and McGill University. He completed his fellowship in pediatric orthopedic surgery at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. Dr. Mackenzie is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

 

Dr. Mackenzie is an active member in numerous societies and serves on the board of directors of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. He is actively involved in research and has authored more than 70 publications in peer-reviewed journals and 16 book chapters. His distinctions include being listed in Delaware Today’s Top Doctors edition, Best Doctors in America, the Guide to America’s Top Surgeons and the Guide to America’s Top Orthopaedists.

 

Dr. Mackenzie is an educator involved in training residents, fellows and visiting observers. He is frequently invited as a visiting professor nationally and internationally. His research interests include skeletal dysplasia, limb length discrepancy, limb alignment and muscle diseases.

Learn More About Dr. Mackenzie
View Dr. Mackenzie's Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

 

Alfred Atanda, Jr., MD

Alfred Atanda, Jr., MD, is the surgical director of the Sports Medicine Program, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and a sports medicine specialist at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. He also serves as the director of the pediatric orthopedic surgery medical student clerkship at Thomas Jefferson University.

 

Dr. Atanda also provides mentorship to the department’s fellows and residents, and has received a significant grant for research. He completed an internship and orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Dr. Atanda received advanced training in pediatric orthopedics with the completion of a fellowship at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. He also completed a sports medicine fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

 

With a primary clinical focus of sports medicine and pediatric trauma, Dr. Atanda’s performs arthroscopic surgery of the knee, shoulder, ankle and elbow. His research interests include upper extremity overuse injuries, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury prevention and patellofemoral disorders (problems stemming from the relationship between the knee and femur, or thigh bone).

Learn More About Dr. Atanda
View Dr. Atanda's Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

 

Kirk W. Dabney, MD

Kirk W. Dabney, MD, is the division chief of the Cerebral Palsy Program and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware and a provisional staff member in orthopedic surgery at the Medical Center of Delaware. Dr. Dabney also serves as an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington.

 

Dr. Dabney completed his undergraduate degree at Princeton University and earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. He completed a surgical internship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and a residency at Howard University in Washington. He completed research and clinical fellowships at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware.

 

Distinctions include acceptance into the American Orthopaedic Association and Best Doctors in America. Dr. Dabney is an active member of national specialty societies, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. He has authored more than 55 peer-reviewed publications and more than 20 book chapters, and was the associate editor of the book, Cerebral Palsy (Freeman Miller/Springer). He also serves as a reviewer for two medical journals.

 

Dr. Dabney is certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. His research interests include cerebral palsy, neuromuscular scoliosis and orthopedic problems related to hematologic (blood) disorders.

Learn More About Dr. Dabney
View Dr. Dabney's Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

 

 

Peter G. Gabos, MD

Peter G. Gabos, MD is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware and an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.

 

He graduated from the New York University School of Medicine and completed his training in general surgery and residency in pediatric orthopedics at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York. He completed a clinical fellowship in pediatric orthopedic surgery at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware.

 

Dr. Gabos is certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He has published extensively in the orthopedic literature, and is a member of several internationally renowned study groups for chest wall and spinal deformity.

 

He is a credentialed vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR) surgeon. Dr. Gabos has been named a Patient’s Choice Award winner by patientschoice.org every year since 2007.

 

His research interests include scoliosis and surgical correction of severe and complex spinal deformities, thoracic insufficiency syndrome and neuromuscular diseases (such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy and Rett syndrome).

Learn More About Dr. Gabos
View Dr. Gabos' Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

 

 

Richard W. Kruse, DO

Richard W. Kruse, DO is the division chief of the Orthopedic Trauma Service, director of the multidisciplinary Osteogenesis Imperfecta Program and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. Dr. Kruse also is a staff member of the Medical Center of Delaware. He is an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine in Bethesda, Md.

 

Dr. Kruse graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed an internship at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. He received his orthopedic training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, and an additional pediatric orthopedic residency at Denver Children’s Hospital. He received advanced training in pediatric orthopedic surgery through a fellowship at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware.

 

Dr. Kruse is board-certified by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Society of Sports Medicine, the American Orthopaedic Association and the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is a retired U.S. Army Colonel with command experience of a U.S. Army Airborne Forward Surgical Team. He also graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and was selected Army Attendee of the U.S. Air Force War College, the highest level of leadership education in the military.

 

Dr. Kruse serves on the Trauma Committee for the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and the Process Improvement Committee of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is a member of the Board of Councilors of the Medical Society of Delaware and the Board of Directors of the New Castle County Medical Society.

 

As an ultra-marathon runner, Dr. Kruse has an avid interest in running and sports injury rehabilitation. He also has extensive experience in athletic coaching and is a certified elite-level coach by U.S.A. Track and Field. He is active in coaching high school and middle school running sports and was awarded a National Youth Sports Award at Stanford University for his work in coaching and mentoring young athletes. He lectures nationally and internationally and has published more than 30 articles and book chapters on various topics in pediatric orthopedics and trauma.

 

Dr. Kruse’s research interests include osteogenesis imperfecta, bone trauma, fractures, exercise training, sports rehabilitation and nutrition.

Learn More About Dr. Kruse
View Dr. Kruse's Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

 


Louise Reid Nichols, MD

Louise Reid Nichols, MD is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware and Nemours Children's Health, Newtown Square. She received her undergraduate degrees from the University of Virginia and Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Dr. Nichols earned her medical degree from Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine.

 

After graduating from a residency in orthopedic surgery at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, she completed a fellowship in limb reconstruction at the International Center for Limb Deformity in Baltimore, Md. Under the supervision of John Herzenberg, MD, a master in the Ponseti technique, she received advanced training in the management of clubfoot.

 

Dr. Nichols received advanced training in pediatric orthopedics with the completion of a fellowship at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. She is active in many societies including the Pediatric Society of North America, Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society.

 

She will serve as the co-director of the Clubfoot Clinic at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. Dr. Nichols also has done studies on an angular correction technique called hemiepiphyseodsis, and published a paper on clubfoot.

 

Her research interests include the correction of orthopedic deformities and reconstruction, clubfoot and pediatric trauma.

Learn More About Dr. Nichols
View Dr. Nichols' Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

 

 

Suken A. Shah, MD

Suken A. Shah, MD is division chief of the Nemours Spine and Scoliosis Center, as well as the clinical fellowship director and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. He also serves as an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Shah is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

 

He earned his medical degree as a cum laude graduate of Jefferson Medical College. He completed an orthopedic surgery residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital/Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, and received advanced training in pediatric orthopedics and scoliosis surgery at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware.

 

Distinctions include a Scoliosis Research Society Traveling Fellowship, a Spinal Deformity Education Group Advancement Award, Best Doctors in America (2007-2012). He also was named one of the Top 17 U.S. Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeons by Orthopedics This Week, 2012. Dr. Shah serves on the Board of Directors of the Scoliosis Research Society, where he chairs the Program Committee.

 

He is a member of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and multiple research study groups. In addition, he has authored more than 50 research publications in peer-reviewed journals and 17 book chapters. Dr. Shah also serves as a reviewer for four medical journals.

 

He is an innovator, researcher and key opinion leader in the field of spinal deformity surgery and performs advanced deformity correction techniques. He trains residents, fellows and visiting observers in these techniques. He is frequently invited to teach and lecture at national and international courses, educational symposia and other institutions.

 

Dr. Shah’s research interests include adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, early-onset scoliosis, complex spinal deformities, kyphosis, spondylolisthesis and other problems of the spine, minimally invasive techniques for surgery and cerebral palsy.

Learn More About Dr. Shah
View Dr. Shah's Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

 

 

Mihir M. Thacker, MD

Mihir M. Thacker, MD is an orthopedic surgeon at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. He attended the Seth G. S. Medical College in Mumbai, India, and completed his orthopedic residency at the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Mumbai. Dr. Thacker has had extensive subspecialty training through pediatric orthopedic fellowships at the National University Hospital in Singapore, Hospital for Joint Diseases/New York University in New York, and Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. He also completed a fellowship in musculoskeletal oncology at the Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami.

 

Dr. Thacker performs limb salvage surgery for tumors, including using noninvasive expandable (growing) prostheses. He is also interested in hip disorders in children and performs complex hip reconstruction (including surgical hip dislocations and periacetabular osteotomies), treatment of complex congenital anomalies, correction of complex deformities, and limb lengthening.

 

Dr. Thacker is active in teaching medical students, residents, fellows and international visiting observers. He is invited to lecture nationally and internationally, and is a member of several societies including the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, Children’s Oncology Group, Musculoskeletal Tumor Society and Lower Limb Reconstruction Society. Dr. Thacker is actively involved in research and has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and five book chapters, as well as presented at national and international scientific conferences.

 

Dr. Thacker has been selected by Delaware Today as one of the best surgeons in Delaware among both pediatric surgeons and surgical oncologists, and has been listed for years in Best Doctors in America. Most of his research has centered on bone and soft tissue tumors, as well as pediatric hip disorders, limb length/growth abnormalities and skeletal dysplasias. He also completed a study on Morquio syndrome for publication in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics.

Learn More About Dr. Thacker
View Dr. Thacker's Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

 

 

Jennifer M. Ty, MD

Jennifer M. Ty, MD is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. She attended Harvard University, where she graduated magna cum laude with highest honors in biology and anthropology. She went on to attend the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, where she developed her interest in orthopedic surgery and graduated in 2000.

 

After medical school, Dr. Ty spent a research year at the National Institutes of Health. She subsequently attended the Harvard University Combined Orthopedic Surgery residency program and graduated in 2006. She completed her first orthopedic surgery fellowship in pediatric orthopedics at Boston Children’s Hospital and a fellowship in hand and microvascular surgery at the University of California, San Francisco.

 

Dr. Ty is a diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. She has a particular focus in pediatric hand and upper extremity disorders. Her research interests include congenital hand conditions, brachial plexus birth palsy and trauma of the upper extremity.

Learn More About Dr. Ty
View Dr. Ty's Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

 

Research Staff:

  • Geraldine Neiss, PhD
  • Petya Yorgova, MS, CCRP

History & Today

A History of Innovation

We're helping to lead the way in pediatric orthopedics, developing innovations such as:

 

The Wilmington Brace

A type of spine brace that’s now used to treat scoliosis in kids everywhere, the Wilmington brace was designed right here at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware and is now used worldwide. In short, it’s a brace that’s designed specifically to fit each patient, using X-ray imaging of the spine. The brace is made of lightweight plastic and can be easily hidden under loose-fitting clothes.

 

The Gait Analysis Laboratory

The Gait Analysis Laboratory at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware was created in 1993 to provide the medical community with state-of-the-art, computer-assisted motion analysis of the complex movement patterns of patients. The lab develops an insightful, three-dimensional model of the patients pre- and post-treatment to determine changes in motion and improvement in function.

 

ScoliScore Helps Us Diagnose Kids With Scoliosis

The experts at our Nemours Spine and Scoliosis Center participated in innovative collaborative research with others in the field of pediatric scoliosis that led to a simple test called the “ScoliScore Test,” used to figure out how mild or severe a patient’s scoliosis curve will be. Kids simply provide a saliva sample, which is then sent to a lab for processing. If the results show a mild curve, we may not need to do anything but observe the child’s progression over time. If the test shows a severe curve, we focus immediately on treatment options.

 

Nemours Orthopedics Today

Our pediatric orthopedic research program continues to grow in both size and scope. Clinical questions drive our investigations and our research capabilities are of great benefit to all the children we see clinically.

 

At Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, the physicians in our department are involved with pediatric orthopedic research projects related to their specific interests. At any given time, we’re working on more than 100 research projects, including dozens of grant-funded studies each year.

 

We publish scores of manuscripts every year in peer-reviewed journals. Our physicians have been invited to present their clinical knowledge in pediatric orthopedics and research findings at major conferences around the world. Often, our orthopedic specialists are the keynote speakers at these conferences.

 

A sampling of the major conferences where we’ve recently presented includes:

Every year, our Department of Orthopedics trains 3–4 research fellows, who often come from other countries to learn our advanced, in-the-field approach to conducting research. They complete a manuscript for publication and return home to share what they’ve learned about the Nemours way. These physicians then become leaders at their home institutions and spread word of our excellence near and far. Additionally, two PhD-trained researchers support the department.

Our entire team of physicians, researchers and associated health professionals are dedicated to finding cures and treatments for children with a variety of orthopedic conditions. Whenever possible, we collaborate with physicians and pediatric orthopedic researchers in other medical specialties to understand how a treatment affects a child.

 

For example, we’ve worked closely with our:

  • Anesthesia colleagues to understand proper pain medication dosage and recovery time.
  • Pediatricians at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware to develop a better understanding of the monitoring of patients before surgery so as to lessen their hospital stays.
  • Trauma personnel to learn where child abuse occurs and to develop appropriate prevention strategies (about 80 percent of injuries from child abuse are orthopedic in nature).

Physicians in the hospital’s Department of Genetics to understand the underlying make-up of children to better provide more specific care for each child.

Male doctor looks at laptop and writes in notebook

Research Publications

Browse a listing of publications from Nemours researchers related to orthopedics research.

Collaborate With Us

With active labs in the Delaware Valley and Florida, we’re always seeking new research partners to collaborate with. Join us.

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Mother and daughter stand side-by-side smiling, holding a handmade sign that reads "Thank You"

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Donations help provide critical support for research. Learn more about how you can support the research efforts at Nemours.