Programs and research

Special care for growing bones, muscles and joints

UW Health Kids doctors, nurses and therapists work together to deliver excellent care. Our programs include:

We provide education, treatment and surgery for children with bone and soft tissue tumors.

We offer treatments that may involve surgery, therapies, special equipment and education to help your child with cerebral palsy live a full life.

Our doctors offer nonsurgical and surgical treatments to realign your child’s feet.

A congenital deformity is a change in the normal size or shape of a body part caused by a condition that a baby is born with. Our team partners with you to find the best treatment for your child’s congenital condition.

Our doctors diagnose, treat and manage your child’s condition. Treatments include nutrition, therapy and surgery.

We diagnose your child’s hip condition and find the most appropriate treatment.

We diagnose and treat ankle, knee and leg conditions. Our team works with you to create a care plan for your child.

Our team teaches you about your child’s metabolic bone condition. We connect you with doctors, dietitians and therapists and provide ongoing care.

Our team includes doctors from orthopedics and neurosurgery. We explain your child’s condition and work with you to build a treatment plan.

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We teach you and your child how to make healthy lifestyle choices through diet and exercise. We also work with children who have medical problems due to inactivity and weight gain.

Our surgeons are available 24/7 to treat traumatic injuries to your child’s bones, head and neck. After we stabilize your child, our team connects you to specialized doctors and therapists to speed recovery. 

We help your child build strength and improve function after surgery or an injury. We provide ongoing care and therapy for lifelong conditions.

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If your child gets injured, we help them recover and safely return to sport or activity. We also work with young athletes to improve their strength and performance.

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Our spine doctors use bracing and surgery to straighten your child’s spine and reduce their pain. A straighter spine makes it easier for your child to breathe and move. 

We diagnose and treat arm, elbow, hand and shoulder conditions. Our team works with you to create just the right care plan.

Research that improves children's lives

UW Health Kids orthopedic doctors do research with faculty at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Currently, we have teams researching concussions, sports-related injuries, fitness and nutrition, joint and genetic conditions and human development. Learn more

Conditions and treatments

Advanced diagnosis and treatment

Conditions we treat

UW Health Kids orthopedists manage a wide range of orthopedic conditions:

  • Bone and tissue cancer 

  • Cerebral palsy

  • Congenital conditions of the lower and upper extremities (clubfoot)

  • Developmental conditions 

  • Fractures (broken bones) and sprains

  • Genetic disorders 

  • Growth plate conditions 

  • Knee injuries

  • Knee pain

  • Overuse injuries 

  • Spine disorders

    • Scoliosis

    • Kyphosis

Treatments

Braces support the arms, back, legs, feet and spine. They are used as part of a physical therapy program or after surgery.

We use casts to help realign bones and muscles.

We create special devices to help children thrive.

We provide a range of exercises and therapies. Treatments can increase strength, increase flexibility and improve health.

Our social workers partner with you. We help you access services for your child.

We provide advanced, minimally invasive procedures for many conditions. Examples include muscle release surgery, joint realignment, reconstructive surgery and spinal surgery.

Locations

Care close to home

We provide orthopedic care to children and young adults throughout Madison.

Meet our team

Our experts

Our team includes experts in pediatric orthopedics, physical therapy, rehabilitation and sports medicine.

Find the right doctor

Our OrthoAccess service connects you with the right doctors and therapists when you need them.

Our providers
Pediatric rehabilitation

Patient stories

Young patients find great success with UW Health Kids

We think all the kids who see our UW Health Kids orthopedic specialists are superheroes. Here are some of their stories.

A photo of Dani Olson wearing a back brace
ScoliosisDani's doing great after surgery
Dani is back in action, doing the things she loves following scoliosis surgery by pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. Laura Bellaire.

Jacob's story

Spine surgery got Jacob back in the game

Jacob is an athlete who loves being active. But doctors discovered a problem in his neck that left him one collision away from grave danger. Thanks to the teamwork of UW Health Kids doctors, he’s now back in the game.

Watch Jacob's story

Surgery for a rare bone condition helps keep Raleigh on the run

Shortly after Raleigh learned to walk, she broke a bone in her leg that wouldn't heal normally. Dr. Pam Lang diagnosed her with a rare condition called tibial pseudarthrosis. Following her recent surgery, she got good news that her leg is healing and her bone is growing. Now she's back to chasing her pet chickens and keeping up with her two older sisters.

Kiara's story

Total spinal fusion gave Kiara new height and a new lease on life

Severe scoliosis left Kiara sidelined. She found help at American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, Wis., one of just a few places in the country that could treat her condition.

Watch Kiara's story
Smiling child with sign reading UW Health Kids
UW Health Kids
Our pediatric experts have served the special needs of children for more than 100 years. We focus on each child’s unique needs and offer social and emotional support to help you and your child face even the most complex condition. Our long history includes the creation of medical advances that save lives around the world. Together, we get your child back to health and enjoying being a kid.