Altru Orthopedics & Sports Medicine offers pediatric orthopedic care through a collaboration with Mayo Clinic. Physicians Anthony Stans, MD, and A. Noelle Larson, MD, visit Altru on a monthly basis to provide comprehensive pediatric orthopedic care, including diagnosis, treatment and postsurgical care.
Emergency Pediatric Orthopedic Care
If your child or teen has a minor orthopedic injury, such as a sprain, you may want to visit a walk-in urgent care Altru Express Clinic. With facilities conveniently located throughout the greater Grand Forks region, you can access prompt treatment of sprains and strains. If you suspect or know the injury is a fracture, the emergency room at Altru Hospital should be your first destination.
Even a minor broken bone will need follow-up X-rays to ensure proper healing. A major fracture may require weeks or months of physical therapy, especially if a growth plate is involved.
Pediatric Orthopedic Specialties
Altru Orthopedics & Sports Medicine provides specialized care for pediatric patients dealing with a range of conditions, including:
- Bone lesions and tumors, which can range from benign cysts to bone cancer
- Bone infection, which occurs when staph or other bacteria infects the blood in a bone or joint, often after a recent injury
- Clubfoot, a common congenital birth defect in which an infant’s foot turns inward
- Hip dysplasia, a condition where the top of the thigh bone does not properly fit into the hip socket
- Limb length discrepancy, when one arm or leg is shorter than the other
Care is also offered for orthopedic conditions associated with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and other neuromuscular conditions.
Pediatric Spine Deformity
Dr. Larson and Dr. Stans also specialize in treating pediatric spinal conditions, including:
- Kyphosis, or rounding of the upper spine (and in extreme cases, “hunchback”)
- Scoliosis or curvature of the spine
- Spondylolysis, a stress fracture in a vertebra in the lower back
- Spondylolisthesis, which occurs when the spondylolysis is untreated and the vertebra slips and may require spinal fusion
Pediatric Orthopedic Treatment
Many pediatric orthopedic conditions may only require monitoring or light physical therapy. Some, if left untreated, can hamper growth or cause severe pain as your child ages. Others, like bone tumors, must be treated immediately.
The team of physicians, nurses, radiologists, therapists and physician assistants at Altru Orthopedics & Sports Medicine will work with your family to find the least invasive treatment options possible. Some conditions may require braces or prosthetic devices. Others can only be treated with surgery.
When needed, surgery is performed at Mayo Clinic. All consultation and follow-up appointments are offered at Altru, helping patients stay close to home for care.
To schedule an appointment with a pediatric orthopedic specialist, call 701.732.7700.
