CHOP is #1 in Pediatric Orthopedics in the USA and at the OMI!

According to the United States News & World Report, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is the number one pediatric hospital in orthopedics in the USA, and consequently one of the best in the world. Over the past 165 years, CHOP advocates for and provides the best for children all over the globe, being the first pediatric hospital in its nation. From clinical expertise to life-changing research, this and many other achievements were witnessed by 34 fellows from 23 countries at the OMI this past week at the Pediatric Orthopedics seminar, from February 9-15, 2025.

The Open Medical Institute is honored to count with top academic partners and experts travelling pro-bono to share their knowledge with fellows from all corners of the world. Furthermore, we are beyond thankful to CHOP for a partnership that extends over 30 years.

This week, we welcomed Dr. Apurva S. Shah, director of orthopedic research at CHOP, among his extensive accolades. Dr. Shah explains the program highlighting that “the course was designed to comprehensively review the treatment of traumatic, congenital, and acquired conditions of the musculoskeletal system in children”.

Dr. Shah further states: “The course began with several didactic sessions on pediatric fractures, emphasized by an interactive discussion on the management of complex trauma cases. The participants debated the management of these fractures, underscoring regional differences in treatment”.

As pediatric surgeons, hands-on experience is extremely important. According to our fellow from Estonia, Dr. Jürgen Rünk, “[…] as surgeons, we work with our hands, so hands-on experience allows us to perfect our everyday practice”. On Tuesday, February 11, we joined forces with Richard King and Clifton Phiri from OrthoPediatrics for a three-hour-long workshop on Osteotomies of the Upper and Lower Limb. OrthoPediatrics was a crucial component of the seminar, providing equipment and valuable support. Dr. Shah underlines that the workshop “[…] was an extraordinary opportunity to teach promising young surgeons advanced deformity correction techniques”.

On Wednesday, February 12, we hosted a workshop on Clubfoot Casting, supported by Artur Kehl (Semeda) and the company Schuster Schalk.

From CHOP, we were also pleased to be joined by Dr. Alexandre Arkader, specialist in both pediatric orthopedics and orthopedic oncology; Dr. Christine Goodbody, specialist in surgical management of the lower extremity deformity and neuromuscular disorders; and Dr. Brendan Williams, specialist in pediatric orthopedics, including a focus on patellar instability.

As the course’s co-director representing the Medical University of Graz, we welcomed Dr. Tanja Kraus, consultant orthopedic and trauma surgeon. From the same institution, Dr. Peter Ferlic, head of the division of spine and scoliosis at the department of orthopedics; Dr. Michael Peter Novak, orthopedic and trauma surgeon; and Dr. Katharina Regvar, former OMI fellow specialized in orthopedics and traumatology. Also from Austria, Dr. Madeleine Willegger from the Medical University of Vienna taught at the course.

The brilliant faculty contributed to the highly immersive character of this week’s seminar, from didactic lectures to workshops and networking during coffee breaks. In the word of Dr. Shah, “the faculty recognize that fellows often practice surgery in challenging work environments, often with limited resources. Seeing their unwavering commitment to treating children with complex orthopedic conditions in their home countries is humbling, and the opportunity to teach and learn with these fellows is immensely rewarding”.

Huge thanks to our team from CHOP and the Medical University of Graz, as well as to our workshop supporters: OrthoPediatrics, Semeda, and Schuster Schalk, in their efforts to turning the seminar in a truly immersive program. We look forward to working together again!