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Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital<\/p>\n
Edited by Nick Hazleton, McClatchy Media Commerce<\/p>\n
SPONSORED CONTENT is content paid for by a partner. The McClatchy Commerce Content team, which is independent from our newsroom, oversees this content.<\/p>\n
When kids break a femur, tear an ACL, or get diagnosed with scoliosis, it\u2019s easy to assume they should receive the same level of orthopedic or sports medicine care that an injured adult might.<\/p>\n
But for children and adolescents whose bodies and skeletons are still growing, specialized pediatric orthopedic care is critical.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is very different from adult medicine,\u201d said Dr. Craig Spurdle, Chief of Orthopedic Surgery and Co-Director of the Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute. \u201cThese kids\u2019 growth centers are evolving. Simple injuries can turn out to be more complex. The treatments are different. There are lots of things that happen in this age group that are different from a 25-year-old.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital <\/p>\n
Orthopedic injuries among kids aren\u2019t rare; their bodies may naturally experience some issues, or they might be injured playing sports. However, treating these issues expediently, effectively, and with specialty care can help ensure that a child doesn\u2019t experience ongoing pain or complications because of a childhood injury.<\/p>\n
At Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital\u2019s Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute<\/a>, specialists like Dr. Spurdle, who is also Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, provide the pediatric orthopedics care Miami and South Florida kids need to get back on their feet \u2014 and stay healthy.<\/p>\n Why Is Pediatric Orthopedics Important? Pediatric orthopedics, spine, and sports medicine specialists keep one factor in mind that isn\u2019t a consideration for adult patients: growth.<\/p>\n Throughout treatment and surgical intervention, these professionals put a special focus on protecting kids\u2019 growth plates, ensuring their future bone development is unimpeded and supported. Because kids aren\u2019t fully grown yet, their skeletal systems require surgeries tailored to each child\u2019s specific growth and developmental stages, meaning a 15-year-old won\u2019t receive the same kind of knee reconstruction surgery as a 60-year-old \u2014 or even as a 12-year-old.<\/p>\n This highly specialized surgical and rehabilitative care is best delivered in a facility like the Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute, which is specifically designed for kids and staffed with specialists in pediatric care. The system\u2019s staff performs more than 1,400 surgeries and 30,000 outpatient visits each year across its pediatric orthopedic clinics in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, making it the go-to network for pediatric fracture care in and around South Florida.<\/p>\n \u201cI do seven or eight different types of ACL reconstructions based on kids\u2019 growth and where they\u2019re at skeletally, so they\u2019re very different from adult surgeries,\u201d Dr. Spurdle said.\u200b<\/p>\n As parents know, kids are also behaviorally distinct from adults. Their compliance with post-surgery procedures or physical therapy may be different, and their re-injury rates are also different.<\/p>\n Dr. Spurdle said that among adults aged 25-30, the ACL reinjury rate is 5-6% or less. Among teens aged 16 to 18, it can be as high as 12%.<\/p>\n \u201c[Health] systems like ours are really prepared to handle [it], coming out of injury very well, because it\u2019s what we do every day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u200bThanks to a staff that includes orthopedic surgeons, medical orthopedists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants \u2014 all of whom specialize in pediatric care for kids and teens under age 21 \u2014 Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute can provide pediatric orthopedics services across South Florida that range from sports injury rehabilitation to the rare pediatric hip replacement.<\/p>\n When Should Kids See a Pediatric Orthopedics Specialist? Acute injuries like a major fracture or an ACL tear are straightforward candidates for treatment at the institute. But when a seemingly minor injury keeps plaguing a child or teen \u2014 whether the site is swelling, making them limp, or causing ongoing pain \u2014 it could also be time for South Florida families to seek pediatric orthopedic care with professionals like Dr. Spurdle.<\/p>\n \u201cWith this age group, because the skeletons are evolving so rapidly, it\u2019s worthwhile to get it checked out and have an expert see them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Sometimes, active kids and young athletes are \u201cvery stoic\u201d about injuries, Dr. Spurdle said, and prefer to push through pain to keep practicing their sport. But small childhood orthopedic and sports injury problems can ultimately cause lifelong health complications, if left unaddressed.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s always best to just tell your parents and tell your coaching staff, \u2018Look, I have this little problem. What do you think? Is it okay or not?\u2019 And they should triage that to somebody like us and to check it,\u201d Dr. Spurdle said. \u201cWe see people who have been playing on complete ACL tears sometimes, and they go on to damage more in the knee, meniscus, cartilage, things that could cause arthritis down the road.\u200b<\/p>\n Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital in Miami is home to the region\u2019s only free-standing pediatric trauma center, making it an excellent facility for families seeking urgent pediatric fracture care in South Florida. Nicklaus Children\u2019s also offers post-fracture follow-up with an orthopedic specialist in one of its many locations, including orthopedic clinics, pediatric urgent care facilities, and emergency rooms throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, within just two days.<\/p>\n Treating Young Athletes Dr. Spurdle and his colleagues treat South Florida-area athletes of all ages through Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital\u2019s Sports Medicine Program, which extends all of this specialty care to young athletes.<\/p>\n \u200bAs one of the children\u2019s orthopedic doctors who treats young athletes, Dr. Spurdle often sees children come in with what families believe is an acute, one-off injury, but is actually an injury from overuse. The issue has become increasingly prevalent as kids start to focus on specialized training in one specific sport from an early age, which can create risk for overuse injuries and larger injuries down the road. Cross-training can help young athletes stay healthy and strong across multiple areas.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to have good fitness and cross training, so that it enables you to have all the fun that you want to have in [your sport],\u201d Dr. Spurdle said.<\/p>\n \u200bThe program offers families diagnostic services, the newest minimally invasive surgery options, and a well-rounded approach to treatment that includes injury prevention strategies, sports nutrition and cardiology, sports rehabilitation, and guidance on returning to play.<\/p>\n When overuse or acute injuries do strike, seeking specialty help at a facility like one of the Nicklaus Children\u2019s Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute\u2019s centers can be especially helpful for young athletes. In the Sports Medicine program, our sports medicine specialists sit with injured kids and teens to show them their imaging, explain normal anatomy compared with their injury, and walk them through the healing or reconstruction process.<\/p>\n A major injury like an ACL tear \u2014 which keeps kids out of their sports for nine months after reconstruction surgery \u2014 can feel devastating for a young athlete, but the right support network can help them endure surgery, rehab, and the lengthy road to proper recovery.<\/p>\n When kids do reach the end of that road, their recovery partners at Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital are ready to celebrate with them.\u200b<\/p>\n \u201cWe joke with them and we say, so-and-so is graduating today and getting back to sports,\u201d Dr. Spurdle said. \u201cWe occasionally have these little trophies we give them for that fun moment and just celebrate their win.\u201d<\/p>\n Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital\u2019s Pediatric Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute<\/a> offers services for children and adolescents at locations across<\/a> Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.<\/p>\n JP Shaffer is a writer with the Vuepoint Content Studio. He has extensive writing experience across health and wellness, travel and financial content. Vuepoint Content Studio produces content for news publishers worldwide, Fortune 500 brands and local businesses.\n <\/p>\n Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital <\/p>\n
Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital <\/p>\n
Nicklaus Children\u2019s Hospital <\/p>\n
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