Orthopedic Research
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CHOC opened its doors in 1964 with one mission: to nurture, advance and protect the health and well-being of children. For more than 50 years, we have never waivered from our mission—continually expanding our services and facilities to meet the growing demand for state-of-the-art pediatric health care.
One vital component of our mission is research, which allows us to offer more treatment options for children where conventional therapy has failed, or for children with conditions for which no standard therapy is available.
The field of pediatric orthopedic medicine is exploding, with advances promising to dramatically improve the lives of children.
It is no longer an issue of IF children who cannot use their body in traditional ways can access the world. It is a matter of WHEN and HOW—and the answer depends on clinical and research advances.
Research at the CHOC Orthopedic Institute is vital to advancing clinical care in the field of orthopedics. Our strong research focus in neuroengineering, robotics, exercise physiology and functional genomics positions CHOC to forge new discoveries in treatment and rehabilitation. Learn more about CHOC’s orthopedic services and treatments.
Latest Orthopedic Research
Pediatric orthopedic surgeon and researcher Afshin Aminian, MD, is driven by one goal: to “give children with movement challenges a life without limits.” Dr. Aminian sees patients with a wide array of conditions, from rare genetic disorders and neuromuscular diseases to scoliosis and fractures. All have one challenge in common: problems with simple movement in their daily activities. “We know every one of these young patients has a dream – to be up and out on the playing field, running around and having fun with their peers,” says Dr. Aminian. Learn more.
Pediatric orthopedic surgeon and researcher Francois Lalonde, MD, leads CHOC’s hip disorder program, so it comes as no surprise that one of his long-term research projects involves Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. “In this condition,” explains Dr. Lalonde, “the blood supply to the femoral head—the ball-shaped head of the thigh bone—is interrupted. This causes the head of the bone to collapse. The body will absorb the dead bone cells and replace them with new bone cells, eventually reshaping the femoral head. Learn more.
Pediatric orthopedic surgeon and researcher John A. Schlechter, DO, runs an extremely busy sports medicine and arthroscopy practice at the CHOC Orthopedic Institute, yet still finds the time to publish extensively on his biomedical studies and clinical outcomes research. His work has appeared in several peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics, Journal of Children’s Orthopedics, Current Orthopedic Practice, Spine, and Arthroscopy. “My focus is on fracture care, sports medicine and other orthopedic conditions affecting children and adolescents,” Dr. Schlechter says. “The goal with our research is to improve treatment approaches in these active young people.” Learn more.
A Donation to Fund Orthopedic Research is an Investment in the Future
CHOC Orthopedic Institute is committed to the advancement of pediatric orthopedics and discovering the best treatments, medications and technologies for our patients through innovative research projects. Your gift funds visionary, life-changing orthopedic research. To donate, please click below or call the CHOC Foundation at 714-509-8690 and ask for the Orthopedic Institute Gift Officer
