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SPECIAL FEATURE Dr. Ponseti developed a technique to treat babies without major surgery. His method involves casting babies' feet once a week for six weeks, starting at 1 to 2 weeks of age. The long-term results are excellent. "There is no overcorrection or stiffness," says Dr. Jones. "Dr. Adamczyk's technique is very good, and he treats the majority of cases here with this method." Early Onset Scoliosis Clinic A small subset of children develops scoliosis before the age of 10. For these children, treatment presents a whole new set of considerations, as their care is highly complex. Scoliosis treatment algorithms change yearly, requiring a surgeon with expertise in the nonoperative as well as operative management of this problem. Two years ago, Dr. Ritzman started the Early Onset Scoliosis Clinic to have a more focused, higher-quality means of treating these children. His research interests also fit well with his clinical interest in this disease entity. Recently, he developed a method of treatment with an expanding spinal rod that may be used some day to significantly limit the number of surgeries required and enhance overall safety for children with scoliosis. Neuromuscular Clinic The Neuromuscular Clinic diagnoses and treats children, teens and young adults with muscular dystrophy and other muscle diseases, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and spinal muscular atrophy. Treatments include bracing and therapy and, when indicated, muscle transfers to help children walk. Dr. Ritzman is often called on to perform spinal fusions on children with muscular dystrophy who develop scoliosis. "Again, this clinic uses a multispecialty pediatric team that includes neurologists, physiatrists, therapists and orthopedists all working together," says Dr. Jones. The same is true of the Spina Bifida Clinic he attends and the Spasticity Clinic for children with cerebral palsy, which Dr. Handler and Dr. Bono attend. "Having so many multidisciplinary clinics is one of our hospital's strengths," says Dr. Jones. Dr. Mark Adamczyk directs the Club Foot Clinic and co-directs the Brachial Plexus Palsy Clinic at Akron Children's. 18 | Cleveland/Akron/Canton MD NEWS I MDNEWS.COM I SEPTEMBER- OCTOBER 2013 Osteogenesis Imperfecta Clinic Recently, Akron Children's began developing a multi-specialist clinic with Dr. Schrader and the hospital's pediatric endocrinologists to formulate treatment plans for children with OI. OI is a genetic disease characterized by abnormal collagen, which results in fragile bones that fracture easily. Treatments may include intravenous medications to decrease the fracture rate and reduce bone thinning, or surgery to place rods in bones to prevent deformities often caused by frequent fractures. "With his training in spinal deformity, Bill Schrader's expertise is invaluable for children with OI," says Dr. Riley. Research and Clinical Trials Akron Children's has a long list of orthopedic-related research projects currently in progress. To be exact, there are 25, and they focus on everything — hand, wrist, arm, shoulder, foot and ankle, knee, hip, and spine. "At any time, we each have at least one research project underway, some more clinical than others," says Dr. Riley, who is working with the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA) on an improved waterproof cast liner. He and his son also just completed a study on femoral neck fractures in children. Dr. Adamczyk and Dr. Weiner, whose research has won awards from the American Academy of Pediatrics, spearhead the hospital's orthopedic research efforts. "Thirty-five years ago, Denny Weiner was the first to do research here," Dr. Jones explains. "He did bench research looking at how growth plates developed over time and how pediatric diseases affect them. Dr. Adamczyk has carried on some of that research." So has Dr. Ritzman, who is researching the effects of different growth factors on growth plates. Dr. Ritzman is also involved in clinical research. In particular, he's examining the potential for decreasing the number of pedicle screws used in spinal surgery to reduce its risk and cost without affecting outcomes. He hopes to