When you come to UC Davis Health, you can be confident your child is in the hands of compassionate experts. U.S. News & World Report ranks our Pediatric Orthopaedic Program among the top programs in the nation. We’re proud to partner with Shriner’s Children’s Northern California to provide orthopaedic care that exceeds national standards.

Our multidisciplinary approach allows us to care for everything from minor injuries to bone tumors. We bring together pediatric orthopaedic surgeons, physical therapists, sports medicine physicians and prosthetics specialists to focus on your child's specific needs. This close teamwork means your child receives seamless, coordinated care — and a better chance of positive outcomes.

Our physicians have completed years of specialized education and training in pediatric orthopaedics. We also lead and participate in national research on the most promising innovative therapies for children’s musculoskeletal problems. We use this knowledge to improve your child’s care and deliver the best treatment.

Bone cysts are benign (noncancerous), fluid-filled bumps that grow on your child’s bone. If the cyst causes pain or problems with bone growth, our specialists may recommend draining or removing it.

Bone tumors are abnormal growths that may be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). The most common pediatric bone cancers are osteosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. We partner with our Pediatric Cancer Center to provide your child with the most advanced cancer treatment available.

Children can be born with limb or spine differences, such as clubfoot (foot twisted inward), leg length differences or scoliosis (curved spine). Some may be diagnosed at birth, but others may not be seen until later. Your child may benefit from monitoring (watchful waiting), physical therapy, assistive devices or surgery.

Many children experience fractures (broken bones), strains (torn or stretched muscles or tendons, which connect muscles to bones) or sprains (torn ligaments, which connect bones). They may also develop overuse injuries like tendonitis (irritated or inflamed tendon) from repeated motions like throwing a ball. We ensure your child receives personalized care that fits their needs and activity level. Their customized treatment plan may include specialized exercises, physical therapy or surgery for severe or complex injuries.

Childhood (juvenile) arthritis can interfere with your child’s growth and make it hard to do things they love. Our team is skilled in diagnosing this condition and using the latest medications and therapies to treat it. We work with you and your child to find a treatment that achieves no symptoms (remission) so they can live an active life.

Children are more likely than adults to get deep infections like osteomyelitis. These infections are often the result of bacteria that get into their body and spread to the bone. Our orthopaedic specialists quickly evaluate your child’s needs and recommend a treatment plan. Antibiotics heal most infections, but we also provide irrigation and surgical removal of the infected area (debridement) for severe cases.

Problems related to a child’s development, such as misalignment of bones or damage to cartilage near the end of a bone (growth plate), can result in orthopaedic problems.

Genetic conditions, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Marfan syndrome, can affect your child’s connective tissues.

An injury while playing or participating in sports can lead to an orthopaedic condition.

Neuromuscular diseases, such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy, can cause pediatric orthopaedic issues.

Health conditions that affect bone growth, such as osteochondrosis and Paget's disease, can disrupt blood flow to your child’s joints.