MDNews - Cleveland-Akron-Canton

Pre- and post-op images are of a patient with Ellis-Van Creveld syndrome, a genetic disorder primarily affecting The Old Order Amish of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Surgery was performed by Dr. Bill Schrader and Dr. Dennis Weiner to release and realign soft tissues combined with an osteotomy to straighten the severe knee deformity. tion and commercialization through ongoing development of medical- and healthcare-related biomaterials. It is an Ohio Center of Excellence for Biomedicine and Healthcare and, along with one of its founding mem- bers, The University of Akron, winner of the prestigious U.S. Department of Commerce’s i6 National Innovation Challenge. In addit ion to Akron Children’s and The University of Akron, other founding institutions include Summa, Akron General, and NEOMED. Dr. Weiner expects the ABIA to do more than advance medical knowledge. “It is designed to be an innovative engine that ignites research in the Akron region and hopefully results in many new jobs, companies and products that will enhance Akron and Northeastern Ohio.” Founder of the Skeletal Dysplasia Center One of Dr. Weiner’s chief areas of interest is skeletal dysplasia, the bone and cartilage disorders that affect growth and development of the skeleton and result in short stature or dwarfism. For more than 30 years, he has treated the region’s Amish patients with these disorders. Because of their genetic background, the Old Order Amish in Millersburg, Ohio, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, are more prone to skeletal dysplasia than the general population. “There are nearly 100,000 people who are Old Order Amish or Mennonite in the Lancaster region,” says Dr. Weiner, who has traveled there to care for this population. The Pennsylvania Amish are particularly susceptible to serious knee deformities caused by Ellis-van Creveld (EVC) syndrome, for which Dr. Weiner and his team have developed an advanced corrective procedure. A condition seen more often in the Ohio Amish is Cartilage-Hair Hypoplasia, an autosomal recessive disorder that causes short-limb dwarfism. To address the prevalence of these diseases and offer hope for those who have them, in 2000, Dr. Weiner founded and now directs the Akron Children’s Regional Skeletal Dysplasia Center, one of only a handful of such clinics across the nation. “It is often difficult to diagnose these conditions,” says Dr. Weiner, who sees both children and adults at monthly skeletal dysplasia clinics. Dr. Weiner runs the clinics in association with Richard Pauli, MD, PhD, a renowned medical geneticist from the University of Wisconsin. “We have people who come from 12 states to our clinic. People with dwarfing conditions may have multiple medical problems in addition to orthopedic problems. Our clinic is designed to not only establish a diagnosis but implement the various treatments these patients require.” As evidence of Akron Children’s growing recognition as an authority on these disorders, the hospital hosted the Little People of America’s Regional Medical Symposium in April. Several hundred people attended. Ultimately, Dr. Weiner says it is an ongoing com- mitment to research, as well as top quality patient care, that will continue to advance the profession and keep Akron Children’s on the cutting edge of orthopedic innovation. “In the end, I believe research benefits society by continually improving our understanding of disease, changing the kinds of treatments we employ, and giv- ing us the tools to assess which ones are the most effective,” says Dr. Weiner. “If you do not continue to search and reach and explore, then medicine becomes stagnant. It has to keep moving forward.” For more information visit the Akron Children’s Hospital Orthopedics Department at www.akronchildrens.org. To refer a patient, call 330-543-3500 or call Dr. Dennis Weiner at 330-543-6633. n MDNEWS.COM  JULY-AUGUST 2011  MD NEWS Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 23 IMAGES COURTESY OF DENNIS WEINER, MD, AKRON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

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