Pediatric Orthopedics

Has Your Child Experienced a Broken Bone or Sprain from an Injury or Playing Sports?

The pediatric orthopedic and pediatric sports medicine experts at Westchester Sport and Spine are here to help you and your child with fractures and sprains. With 40 years of combined experience diagnosing pediatric injuries, Westchester Sport and Spine provides you with the highest levels of care for both surgical and non-surgical procedures.

About Pediatric Orthopedics and Pediatric Sports Medicine

If you think that your child has a fracture, come see Westchester Sport and Spine today. Skip the emergency room, come directly to our office, and see the doctor on the same day.

Kids don’t sprain joints as much as they fracture them. So whereas in an adult case, you might say, “Oh, it’s just a sprain in the ankle.” With kids you have to worry that the injury is actually a fracture of the growth plate.

It’s important to treat a growth plate appropriately or it could affect the growth of the child’s arm or leg. The arm or leg could be crooked permanently if it’s not addressed correctly. You don’t want to miss a fracture on a kid. There are many orthopedic surgeons and healthcare practices that don’t deal with a lot of children and can easily miss this important diagnosis.

We treat a high volume of pediatric orthopedic and pediatric sports medicine case. The most common pediatric fractures are in the wrist and ankle. For young baseball and softball players, we treat a lot of elbow and shoulder injuries. In other adolescent athletes, we treat knee and hip injuries.

We see kids who were pitching and now they’re experiencing pain, or they kick the soccer ball and now their foot hurts, or they twisted an ankle running, or they slipped playing or they fell down the stairs. These things happen. But if the pain is persistent it may be a fracture – don’t let your child tough it out, get them child checked today. Call us and get right in on the same day.

The best part about being a kid is that they recover quicker, they don’t usually have problems with range of motion, and usually they do not need physical therapy.

Pediatric Orthopedics

Pediatric Sports Medicine

Since kids and teens are still growing, young athletes need specialized care following a sports-related injury. A pediatric sports specialist is a healthcare provider who helps young people with injuries caused during athletic activities. These injuries could be a result from high-speed impact or through the overuse of the same muscle group. They could also be the result of a fall, resulting in damage to the tendons, joints, muscles, and bones, which could have a lasting effect on their performance and growth.

All Sports Injuries Treated

Injuries resulting from athletic activities in young people range from common sprains and strains to growth plate injuries, osteochondritis dissecans, subluxations and dislocations, and more. We treat athletic injuries from all sports and athletic activities, including:

Acrobatic Gymnastics
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country Running
Dancing
Field Hockey
Figure Skating
Football
Golf
Gymnastics
Hockey
Rugby
Skiing and Snowboarding
Soccer
Track and Field
Tennis
Volleyball

Commonly Treated Pediatric Sports Injuries

Pediatric sports specialists not only treat the following injuries, but they also educate parents on how to prevent them from recurring. Some young people may find it difficult to explain what they are experiencing, which is another reason for them to see a pediatric sports specialist who is trained to know what to look for. They are trained to treat common sports injuries in young athletes, such as sprains, strains, fractures, injured ligaments, and more.

Shoulder

Biceps Tendon Tear at the Shoulder: a bicep tendon rupture occurs when of the heads disconnects from the bone. This tendon connects the upper bicep muscle to the shoulder or elbow.
Bone Spurs: bony projections that develop along the edge of the bone. They often form in the joints of the bone, where two bones meet.
Burners: a common nerve injury resulting from trauma to the neck and shoulder, typically following sports participation.
Bursitis: inflammation of the bursae, small fluid-filled sacs near the joints which act as cushions that stop between the moving parts of the bone and tendons from rubbing together.
Chronic Shoulder Instability: this injury occurs when the upper arm bone is forced out of the shoulder socket, typically resulting from sudden injury or overuse.
Clavicle Fracture (Broken Collarbone): a break in the collarbone, which is the most common injury in children and young adults.
Common Shoulder Injuries: common injuries to the shoulder include sprains and strains.
Dislocated Shoulder: this injury involves injury to the upper arm bone, where it moves out of its socket.
Labral Tears: a tear in the fibrocartilage of the shoulder, attached to the rim of the shoulder socket.
Rotator Cuff Tears: a common injury involving a year to one of the four muscle groups and tendons stabilizing the shoulder joint.
Rotator Cuff Tendinitis: inflammation of the tendons supporting the rotator cuff.
Scapula (Shoulder Blade) Fractures: a break to the scapula, or the shoulder blade, sitting behind the ribcage. This is an uncommon injury that is typically present with other injuries due to the force required to damage the scapula.
Shoulder Dislocations: dislocations to the shoulder, forcing the shoulder out of its socket, typically resulting from considerable force.
Shoulder Impingement/Rotator Cuff Tendinitis: inflammation from repetitive shoulder activities.
Shoulder Injuries in the Throwing Athlete: typical injuries involve torn rotator cuffs or tendonitis of the shoulder.
Shoulder Joint Tear (Glenoid Labrum Tear): the soft tissue supporting the socket of the scapula (the glenoid) may be torn in some injuries, though this often occurs in tandem with a scapula fracture.
Shoulder Separation: an injury to the ligaments holding the clavicle to the scapula. The ligaments supporting these structures may just be stretched, or they may be torn.
Shoulder Trauma (Fractures and Dislocations): these injuries typically involve fractures and dislocations.
SLAP Tears: a SLAP (superior labral tear from anterior to posterior) tear or a SLAP lesion is an injury to the glenoid labrum, which is the ring of cartilage surrounding the socket of the shoulder joint.
Stingers: burners or singers occur when the nerves in the neck or shoulder are stretched or compressed after impact.

Knee

ACL Injury: a tear or sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament supporting the knee. These injuries typically occur as a result of sudden changes in direction or from falling.
ACL Tear: a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament, which supports the knee. This injury typically results from traumatic injury to the knee, such as from athletic activity or falls.
Baker’s Cyst: a fluid-filled cyst that causes a bulge and constricts motion behind the knee. Pain can worsen when the knee is flexed or extended.
Bursitis: inflammation of the bursae near the knee joint. Bursae are designed to reduce friction and cushion the pressure points between the bones, tendons, and muscles near the joints.
Chronic Knee Instability: a rupture typically resulting in slipping knee and recurrent hydrarthrosis, particularly in athletes.
Collateral Ligament Injury: the most common form of knee injury where two ligaments on either side of the knee are torn or hyperextended, causing pain and loss of mobility.
Dislocated Knee: this injury occurs when the patella (kneecap) slips out of place, typically resulting after a fall or a hard blow.
Growth Plate Fractures: a fracture to the growth plate fracture in the knee can cause the leg to be shorter or longer, becoming crooked over time.
Hyperextended Knee: this injury occurs when the knee is pushed past its normal range of motion from a straightened position. This can cause damage to the anterior cruciate ligament or posterior cruciate ligament.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease: inflammation of the patellar tendon which attaches to the tibia. This condition often occurs during growth spurts when the muscles, bones, and tendons are changing rapidly.
Patellar Tendinitis: injury to the tendon connecting the patella to the shinbone. This injury often occurs in jumping athletes.
PCL Injury: a sprain to the posterior cruciate ligament most occurs when the front of the knee hits a dashboard during an automobile accident, resulting in pain and loss of motion.
PCL Tear: a tear to the posterior cruciate ligament makes up less than 20% of injuries to the knee ligaments. Injuries to the PCL often damage ligaments in the same area.
Quadriceps Tendon Tear: a tear to the tendon that runs from the quadriceps to the top of the knee cap. These injuries often occur in middle-aged people who engage in jumping sports.
Runner’s Knee: a common name used to describe one of several conditions affecting the kneecap. Some conditions include anterior knee pain syndrome, patellofemoral malalignment, chondromalacia patella, and iliotibial band syndrome.
Tendinitis: patellar tendinitis is an injury to the tendon connecting the patella to the shinbone, often called Jumper’s Knee.
Torn Meniscus: one of the most common knee injuries caused by forceful twisting of the knee, causing tissues in the knee to tear.
Unstable Kneecap: dislocation of the patella can result in having an unstable kneecap. This can lead to repeated kneecap dislocations, which happens when the patella does not properly align with the trochlea.

Wrist

Carpal Instability: the loss of normal alignment in the carpal bones or radioulnar joint.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: numbness and tingling in the hand and arm caused by a pinched nerve in the wrist.
De Quervains Tendinitis: swelling of the tendons in the thumb caused by repetitive motion.
Distal Radioulnar Joint Instability: subluxation of the ulnar head in the joint.
Distal Radius Physis Stress Syndrome: overuse of the wrist, primarily affecting young gymnasts.
Drummer’s Tendinitis of the Wrist: swelling of a tendon in the wrist, typically found in young musicians who play for long hours without rest.
Extensor Carpal Ulnaris Tendinitis (ECU Tendinitis): injury to the tendon of the extensor carpi ulnaris muscle, becoming irritated and inflamed.
Flexor Carpi Ulnaris Tendonitis: inflammation of the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon, causing pain and inflammation.
Ganglion Cyst: a small sac of fluid that forms over a joint or tendon, which is noncancerous in nature.
Golfer’s Wrist (Hook of Hamate Fracture or Tendinitis): tendonitis in the leading hand’s wrist, which can cause painful swelling and inflammation in the inner aspect of the elbow.
Intersection Syndrome: inflammation of the tendon over the back of the forearm and the wrist.
Kienböck’s Disease: a condition where the blood supply to the lunate is interrupted.
Lacerations: cuts and lacerations to the wrist, causing pain and discomfort.
Wrist Ligament Injury: injuries to the ligaments in the wrist supporting the bones.
Wrist Osteoarthritis: arthritis in the wrist, causing pain, discomfort, and loss of function.
Wrist Fractures: a break to one or more of the bones in the wrist structure.
Joint Hypermobility: a condition occurring when the ligaments and joint capsule supporting the wrist become too loose.
Lower Median Nerve Palsy: often caused by deep injuries to the wrist, forearm, and am, causing neuropathy.
Nerve Surgery: surgery to correct a pinched or damaged nerve.
Nonunions: surgery to connect two or more bones that are no longer aligned or are falling out of alignment.
Osteoarthritis: wear and tear to the protective cartilage on the ends of the bones, causing pain and discomfort.
Perilunate Dislocation: dislocation of the wrist, resulting from hyperextension injuries.
Pisiform Fractures: carpal fracture, often as a result of a direct blow to the hypothenar eminence region.
Preiser’s Disease: ischemia and necrosis of the scaphoid which occurs without previous damage to the wrist.
Radius Fractures: a break to the distal radius in the wrist, commonly occurring from high impact injuries or falling onto an outstretched hand.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: a form of arthritis that forms due to inflammation in the body and can affect patients of all ages.
Scapholunate Ligament Tear: a tear to the scapholunate ligament, which supports carpal alignment and wrist stability.
Scaphoid Fractures: a break of the scaphoid bone in the wrist, resulting in tenderness and swelling. Pain in the base of the wrist is generally worsened with use of the hand.
Thermal Capsular Shrinkage: the use of heat to result in a decrease in capsular volume, used to treat joint instability.
Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Tears: an injury or tear to the fibrocartilage, a network of ligaments and tendons between the ulna and radius bones of the wrist.
Triquetrolunate Injuries: instability of the medial carpal as a result of hyperextension of the wrist.
Tumors: screening and removal of tumors to the hand and wrist area.
Ulnar Carpal Instability: swelling, pain, and tenderness of the ulnar aspect in the wrist due to weakened or ruptured ligaments.
Volar Lunate Dislocation: traumatic injuries to the wrist with volar wrist swelling typically presenting.
Volar Plate Avulsion Injury: a hyperextension injury, often referred to as a jammed finger.

Ankle

Achilles Tendon Ruptures: partial or complete disruption of the tendon just above the heel.
Ankle Dislocations: abnormal separation of the ankle joint, resulting in pain, bruising, and swelling.
Ankle Fractures: a complete or partial break of the ankle.
Ankle Sprains: hyperextension of the ligaments supporting the ankle.
Chronic Ankle Instability: recurring giving away of the lateral side of the ankle.
Common Ankle Injuries: a large number of ankle and foot injuries, typically sprains and fractures.
Dislocated Ankle: separation of one or more bones in the ankle joint, resulting in severe pain and swelling.
High Ankle Sprain: injury resulting from ankle rolls or twists, causing the ankle to turn in an awkward position.
Peroneal Tendon Injuries: injury to the peroneal tendons supporting the outside of the lower leg and into the foot.
Talar Dome Lesion: a lesion of the talar cartilage, typically caused by ankle sprains.

Back

Ankylosing Spondylitis: a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the spine, causing fusing in the vertebrae.
Coccydynia: inflammation in the tailbone, which causes focal pain and tenderness in the tailbone.
Chronic Pain: chronic pain sources to the spine, often the result of overuse or traumatic injury.
Herniated Disc: sometimes called a slipped or ruptured disk, a herniated disk occurs when the soft center of a spinal disk pushes through a crack in the exterior casing.
Lower Back Pain: a painful condition affecting the power portion of the spine.
Muscle Strain: a pulled muscle in a muscle strain occurs when the muscle is overstretched or torn, typically resulting from fatigue or overuse.
Neck Pain: pain in the neck and shoulder that is not caused by an underlying disease, such as sleeping in an uncomfortable position or prolonged straining.
Piriformis Syndrome: a condition where the piriformis muscle spasms and causes pain in the buttocks.
Sciatica: pain caused by compression of the sciatic nerve, causing pain that spreads to the hip, buttocks, and leg.
Scoliosis: unnatural curvature of the spine, often occurring during a growth spurt.
Spinal Deformities: unnatural curvature of the spine, such as in scoliosis or kyphosis.
Spinal Fractures: unstable fractures in the spine which typically require surgery to realign the bones and prevent spinal cord or nerve injury.
Spinal Infection / Osteomyelitis: infections caused by bacterial or fungal organisms can sometimes occur after surgery.
Spinal Stenosis: a condition in which the spinal canal covering the nerve roots and spinal cord becomes compressed. This results in a pinching of the cords and roots, leading to pain, cramping, and numbness.
Spinal Tumors: an abnormal mass of tissue within or surrounding the spinal cord or column. These cells multiply uncontrollably and can be benign or malignant.
Upper Back Pain: pain in the upper back, typically as a result of poor posture, muscle overuse, or injury.
Vertebral Fracture: fractures to the vertebrae, which can occur as a result of compression or traumatic injury.

Elbow

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: a condition involving pressure of stretching of the ulnar nerve (sometimes called the “funny bone”), causing numbness or tingling.
Distal Biceps Tendon Rupture: rupture of the biceps tendon, typically as a result of unexpected force to the muscle such as an attempt to catch something or falling onto an outstretched hand.
Elbow Dislocation: dislocation to the joint surfaces of the elbow, typically as a result of a fall onto an outstretched hand.
Elbow Fracture: a fracture to the olecranon, the humerus, the radius, or the ulna. This can cause swelling, pain, and loss of function.
Elbow Sprain: an injury where the ligaments supporting the elbow become stretched or torn.
Golfer’s Elbow: a condition where pain is caused by inflammation of the tendons in the forearm.
Lateral Epicondylitis: commonly called “tennis elbow,” this is a painful condition where the tendons attached to the bone on the lateral side of the elbow are irritated and inflamed.
Little Leaguer’s Elbow: injury to the upper arm bone at the elbow, occurring in young athletes who are still growing.
Medial Epicondylitis: inflammation of the flexor pronator muscle, causing pain and discomfort.
Osteochondritis Dissecans: a joint disorder where cracks form in the articular cartilage and the subchondral bone.
Olecranon Bursitis: swelling, redness, and pain at the tip of the elbow, typically caused by infection.
Tennis Elbow: irritation of the tissue and tendons connecting the forearm muscle to the elbow. This condition is typically caused by repetitive motions of the wrist and arm.

Hand

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: a condition causing pain, numbness and tingling in the arm caused by a pinched nerve in the wrist.
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis: a condition caused by repetitive hand or wrist movements affecting the tendons on the radial side of the wrist.
Dislocated Finger: separation of the bones of the finger from their natural position.
Finger Fracture: a break in the finger bone, which can cause pain, swelling, and limited range of motion. Some patients may only experience dull pain without losing mobility.
Finger Sprain: an injury involving torn or stretched ligaments that support the bones and joints of the finger.
Ganglion Cyst: a small sac of fluid that forms over a joint or tendon connecting the muscle to the bone. They are typically benign.
Hand Fracture: a break to one of the bones in the hand. This typically results from falling onto an outstretched hand or from a traumatic injury.
Hand Sprain: an injury to the ligament which connects the bones. The fibers and muscles of the hand can become stretched or torn during a fall.
Tendinitis: inflammation in a tendon caused by repetitive motions in the hand.
Trigger Finger: pain, stiffness, and locking of the finger as it is bent and straightened. This injury is also known as stenosing tenosynovitis.
Trigger Thumb: pain, stiffness, and locking of the thumb in a bent or straightened position. The ring finger and thumb are most often affected. Also known as trigger finger orstenosing tenosynovitis.

Hip

Bursitis: inflammation of the bursae, the fluid-filled sacs that function as a gliding surface between the moving tissues of the body.
Clicking on the Hip: a click on the hip can be a result of a labral tear, iliotibial hand syndrome, psoas bursitis, psoas tendon snap, and arthritis.
Fractured Hip: a break in the upper quarter of the femur, near the hip joint.
Collateral Ligament Injury: an injury involving the hyperextension of the collateral ligament. It may also be torn. This causes pain and loss of mobility.
Dislocated Hip: an injury in which the hipbone is displaced from its normal position.
Femoral Acetabular Impingement: a condition where an extra bone grows along on or both joints forming the hip joint, leading to hip impingement or femoral acetabular impingement.
Gluteus Medius Tear: a tear in the gluteus medius typically occurs as a result of long-term wear and tear or acute injury. A tear to this muscle can cause pain and weakness on the side of the hip (but not inside, near the groin).
Groin Strains: a tear to the abductor muscles of the thigh. Injuries to this region typically occur as a result of kicking, twisting action while running, or jumping.
Hip Dislocation: an injury resulting as a result of the hip bone being displaced from its natural position.
Hip Dysplasia: a condition where the hip socket does not fully cover the ball portion of the upper thighbone, causing the hip to become partially or fully dislocated.
Hip Flexor Strain: a stretch or tear of a muscle in the hip caused by an injury while lifting the knee, kicking, or bending at the waist.
Hip Fractures: a break in the upper quarter of the thighbone, near the hip joint.
Hip Instability: a loose hip joint is typically caused by problems with the ligaments supporting the bone structure. This can result in hip dislocation and osteoarthritis.
Labral Tear: injury to the ring of cartilage supporting the outside socket of the hip joint. This can cause pain and affect your ability to walk.
Piriformis Syndrome: a disorder involving the piriformis muscle in the buttocks, which irritates the sciatic nerve. This causes pain, tingling, and numbness down the leg.
Popping on the Hip: the sensation or sound of popping in the hip can lead to bursitis, a painful swelling of the bursae (the fluid-filled sacs cushioning the hip joints).
Snapping Hip Syndrome: a condition where you can hear a popping sound or a snapping sensation in the hip when you walk, stand, or swing your leg.

Pediatric Orthopedic Pain and Injury Treatment Options

Many pediatric orthopedic and pediatric sports medicine injuries and pain conditions are effectively treated conservatively with medications, splinting, bracing, injections and therapy. More often than not, surgery is not necessary to treat your current pain.

If surgical intervention is necessary, the orthopedic and sports medicine specialists and surgeons with Westchester Sport and Spine are experts in the latest minimally invasive procedures.

The main treatment options for your pain include:

Avoiding activities that make your symptoms worse
Using ice packs
Painkillers
Anti-inflammatories
Physiotherapy
Physical therapy
Surgery (in some cases)

Call Us Immediately

Skip the emergency room and please call us for a same day appointment and have someone drive your child to our clinic if they have a fracture or injury that is accompanied by:

Limb or joint appears deformed
Inability to use limb or move it away from the body
Intense pain
Sudden swelling