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Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeons – Helping Kids Get Back to Being Kids
 | Dr. Candice Holden is a board-certified pediatric orthopaedic surgeon who practices in Sterling, VA and South Riding, VA |
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The health and wellbeing of a child is at the forefront of every parent’s mind. While we always want to protect them, injuries are bound to happen. When they do, it is important to find the right doctor to care for them.
Recently, Arthritis & Sports was proud to welcome Dr. Candice Holden to our ever-growing practice. Dr. Holden is a board-certified pediatric orthopaedic surgeon with over twenty years of experience specializing in the non-operative and surgical treatment of pediatric patients with orthopaedic disorders and injuries.
In this article, Dr. Holden explains what pediatric orthopaedics is, and how it can help your child thrive.
What is pediatric orthopaedics?
While all physicians go through rigorous training in medical school, they will eventually choose a specialty to focus on during their residency training. Orthopedic surgery is one of those paths, which focuses on treating musculoskeletal problems. However, this isn’t the final training many of them have.
After completing their orthopedic residency training, many orthopedists complete an additional fellowship rotation in a subspecialty field. This gives them even more knowledge, skill, and expertise within the specific field they wish to practice. Examples of this include sports medicine, total joint replacement, and – the subject of today’s article – pediatrics.
Pediatric orthopedic surgeons complete additional fellowship training on treating children from the newborn stage through teenage years. Throughout their fellowship training, they receive in-depth education, experience, and mentoring in pediatric orthopaedic surgery, outpatient clinical care, inpatient care, and research.
What sets pediatric orthopedists apart from other orthopedists?
Children are not just small adults. There are many problems that are unique to children and their growing bodies which aren’t found in adults. Because children are still growing, their body’s response to injuries, infections, or deformities can also be quite different than that of a fully-grown adult.
While a general orthopedist may be qualified to treat your child’s orthopedic needs, pediatric orthopedists have greater knowledge, training, and experience treating the unique factors that make treating your child different than treating an adult. Not only do pediatric orthopedic surgeons know how to examine and treat children, but they do it in a way that helps make them relaxed and cooperative.
What does a pediatric orthopedist treat?
Pediatric orthopedic surgeons diagnose, treat, and manage the full range of children’s musculoskeletal problems, including:
Bone-related congenital deformities and disorders
Congenital disorders and deformities
Fracture care
Gait abnormalities (such limping)
Growth plate injuries
Hip disorders
Inflammatory conditions
Injuries and deformities of the hand, arm, and foot
Infections and swelling in joints, bones, and muscles
Limb and spine deformities (such as club foot, scoliosis, and limb length differences in the legs or arms)
Scoliosis
Spasticity and contractures
Sports-related injuries, like little leaguer's elbow
Sprains and strains
Tendinitis and bursitis
Tumors
While a pediatric orthopedic surgeon is an important resource for helping your child recover from injuries, their pediatrician is equally important in helping decide when to see one. Since children experience significant growth until they reach adulthood, parents can often mistake their growing pains for an abnormality. For this reason, it is essential to first seek treatment from your child’s pediatrician.
Our team approach
At Arthritis & Sports, we understand how challenging orthopedic conditions are, especially when one is keeping your child from acting like a child. Our team’s goal is to help return all of our patient’s quality of life, whether it’s returning to a sport or simply enjoying being a kid again.
We are dedicated to providing age-appropriate care that supports your child’s growing body. Our team of surgeons provide targeted care for the entire spectrum of musculoskeletal problems and conditions, including:
Sports medicine specialists and surgeons
Surgical podiatrists
Upper extremity surgeons
Adult joint reconstructive surgeons
Sidelined by a sports injury or orthopaedic condition? Our award-winning fellowship-trained providers are here to help you return to your active life! We invite you to call us at 703.444.5000 or click here to request an appointment with one of the physicians at Arthritis & Sports. To stay up-to-date on the latest news and tips from us, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and sign up for our monthly newsletter!
