A growing child’s or young adult’s body doesn’t work exactly the same as an adult’s body does. That’s why there are doctors and specialists trained specifically to work with children. When your child at or under the age of 21 suffers from an orthopaedic condition or injury, it’s best to take them to see a pediatric orthopaedic specialist.

According to the NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center, up to 90% of peak bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and by age 20 in boys.

This means that the optimal time to ensure proper bone health is during our youth. And there is no one better qualified to do so than a pediatric orthopaedic specialist.

A Pediatric Orthopaedic Specialist is Uniquely Qualified to Treat Children

Pediatric orthopaedic specialists undergo specialized training to diagnose and treat children with musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. Beyond the expertise of a pediatrician or even an orthopaedic surgeon, pediatric orthopaedic specialists receive further training geared exclusively towards caring for a child’s growing bones and musculoskeletal systems.

They can often provide a full spectrum of care from diagnosis to follow-up, including both surgical and non-surgical treatments.

Treating Children with Fractures or Other Musculoskeletal Injuries

Kids love to be active and experiment with adventure and play. Whether they are part of a sports team or treating their local playground like a Ninja Warrior course, they get bumped and bruised pretty often. A lot of injuries can just be treated at home, but when a musculoskeletal injury occurs, proper diagnosis and treatment from the start is the key to your child’s optimal healing.

Children actually heal a lot faster than adults. Their bones are thicker and stronger than adult bones and are more oxygen-rich. But because of this, when an injury does occur, they need immediate and accurate treatment so that their injury doesn’t start healing incorrectly. Wrongly diagnosed injuries or poorly placed fractures can cause longer-term problems as your child continues to grow. It’s also important to have periodic, continued care to ensure that their injuries are healing the way they should.

Treating Children with a Congenital or Childhood Orthopaedic Condition

Pediatric orthopaedic specialists are also trained to recognize and treat congenital orthopaedic conditions and conditions that develop within childhood. Examples of these conditions can include clubfoot, scoliosis, hip dysplasia, cerebral palsy, and Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (LCPD).

The sooner a child with one of these conditions can start receiving orthopaedic care, the better chance they have to develop at an appropriate rate with as minimal disruption to their life as possible.

A Pediatric Orthopaedic Specialist Provides Kid-Focused Care

Kids can’t always express their pain like adults can, nor can they always understand why they need treatment for it. Pediatric orthopaedic specialists have the best training and experience to communicate with your child, getting to the bottom of their injury or condition, while also explaining to them in kid-friendly terms what is going on with their body.

This is extremely important for the emotional health of both your child and you, as parents. No parent wants to see their child in pain or experiencing an obstacle to their lifestyle. Having an expert who can put your child at ease can greatly reduce the emotional stress for everyone.

Of course, they will also be able to help you understand your child’s injury or condition so that you can work together to determine the best treatment options.

MidAmerica Orthopaedics Can Help

Our experienced pediatric orthopaedic specialists take immense care in understanding and treating pediatric injuries and conditions. Their primary goal is to provide optimal care to safely return their young patients to a fulfilling, active lifestyle. Whether your child has suffered a trauma or sports-related injury, has an orthopaedic condition, or is healing from a previous injury or fracture, our specialists can evaluate their unique case to ensure the best possible recovery.

To make an appointment at our Pediatric Clinic, call us at (708) 237-7200.