200 Reasons to Advance Pediatric Orthopedic Care
There are over 200 bones in the human body. At the Herbert J. Louis Center for Pediatric Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Phoenix Children's, we provide specialized care for every single one of them.
From birth to early adulthood, a child's bones, joints and muscles develop at a fast pace. This rapid growth can make it challenging to treat musculoskeletal injuries, diseases and conditions in children. The orthopedics team at Phoenix Children's is dedicated to caring for the unique needs of pediatric patients, treating everything from scoliosis, clubfoot and movement disorders to sports injuries, concussions and broken bones.
Led by Matthew Halanski, MD, division chief and Herbert J. Louis Endowed Chair of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, the team focuses on improving children's health outcomes and expanding research opportunities. With over 70 members, the team includes board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons as well as experts in the spine, sports medicine, trauma injuries, bone deformities, neuromuscular disorders and rehabilitation.
All this is made possible because of philanthropic support from our generous community. Learn about priority funding needs and how you can make a difference for our patients and their families
Driving Research and Innovation
The Herbert J. Louis Center for Pediatric Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Phoenix Children’s has an expert team of 14 surgeons and five sports medicine physicians practicing nonsurgical care who are dedicated to the growth of subspecialties and increased accessibility to our programs and services. The orthopedics team has instituted daily, dedicated fracture clinics to provide convenient care throughout the Valley.
Phoenix Children’s is also home to Arizona’s only children’s hospital with a collaborative neurosurgical and orthopedic center at the Center for Spine Care at Phoenix Children’s. This unique collaboration performs over 200 procedures each year and it is the only program in Arizona to offer the vertebral body tethering procedure for scoliosis.
The orthopedic acute care team, led by Dr. William Wood and Dr. Jessica Burns, caters to complex patients with multiple injuries, employing the latest evidence-based techniques for timely care. Dr. Mohan Belthur has been instrumental in positioning our orthopedic acute care team on the national map, with Phoenix Children’s participating in several foundation and National Institutes of Health–funded multicenter clinical trials addressing key orthopedic trauma-related questions.
In 2023, a world-class Osteogenesis Imperfecta Clinic was established at Phoenix Children’s by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Maegen Wallace, endocrinologist Dr. Pamela Smith and geneticist Dr. Rachel Lombardo. This has further expanded our clinical footprint and quality, making Phoenix Children’s one of the few clinical trial sites for groundbreaking pharmacologic treatments for these diseases.
Meet CC
CC was born with bilateral clubfeet and hip dysplasia. His journey didn't begin at Phoenix Children’s, but his parents are very thankful he's there now. Tamara, CC's mom, says that prior to meeting the orthopedics team, she wasn't sure if her son would walk. “We owe orthopedics endless love for saving our child’s feet,” she says.”
Priority Funding Needs
Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), or brittle bone disease, is a lifelong genetic condition that causes bones to break very easily. Currently, the only program in the Southwest is at Phoenix Children’s. A total of $605,000 is needed to support equipment needs for OI.
This work advances clubfoot care through clinical testing of the Crawford Smart Brace, which can detect subtle biomechanical differences—even in infants. It will allow for the comparison of commercial braces, development of age-based norms and earlier detection of recurrence. Additional preclinical testing will evaluate the strength of early tibialis anterior tendon transfer as a potential alternative for children who are unable to tolerate bracing. Together, these efforts will support standardized clubfoot treatment protocols, as well as more consistent clinical documentation and outcome tracking across Phoenix Children’s.
A total of $256,250 is needed for an Ortho Research Fellow to support innovation, research and discovery.
Having a child who is critically or chronically ill or injured is difficult. Added financial stress can push a family to the breaking point. This fund assists with food, lodging and transportation so families can focus on the health of their child.
- “I see no ceiling for our growth, making positive differences in the lives of children in this region through our clinical work and nationally through our educational and research endeavors.”Matthew A. Halanski, MDDivision Chief and Herbert J. Louis Endowed Chair in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Stories of Hope and Healing
Herbert J. Louis Center for Pediatric Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Philanthropic Advisory Council
Matthew Halanski, MD, Division Chief and Herbert J. Louis Endowed Chair in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Phoenix Children's
Murat Jon Abayhan, CFO, The Simon Law Group
Christine Bullock, Founder of KAYO Bodycare
Dan Tighe, Principle Distributor, MD Medical
Joe Pongratz, President and CEO, Pongratz Orthotics
Robert Simon, Founder, Partner & Trial Director The Simon Law Group
Stefan Vojt, Medical Device Entrepreneur, EDGe Surgical, Inc.
For questions, to share your story, or to learn more about how you can help, please contact GratefulForOrtho@phoenixchildrens.com.
Your gift helps the Herbert J. Louis Center for Pediatric Orthopedics and Sports Medicine improve the health and quality of life of children with musculoskeletal injuries or conditions.
