CHOP Launches New Young Adult Hip Preservation Program

Published on

Image of Wudbhav N. Sankar, MD Wudbhav N. Sankar, MD April 1, 2014 — The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) launched a new Young Adult Hip Preservation Program, a unique program specifically for young adults with complex hip disorders. Unlike most programs at CHOP — which are tailored to younger children and their families — the Young Adult Hip Preservation Program is designed to meet the needs of adolescents and young adults (age 15 to mid-30s), who are physically active and old enough to be involved in making their own healthcare decisions.

Many teens and young adults worldwide suffer from congenital, developmental or post-traumatic hip disorders. Left untreated, these often-painful conditions can lead to early hip replacements in otherwise active and healthy individuals. Nearly 50 percent of all hip replacements done in the United States are for congenital, developmental or post-traumatic hip disorders, and could benefit from hip preservation treatment. CHOP’s new program is designed to preserve, adjust or restore natural hip function and allow teens and young adults to resume their busy lifestyles.

“We are very excited to launch this unique program, which aligns perfectly with CHOP’s mission and history of innovation and excellence,” said John P. Dormans, MD, chief of the Division of Orthopedics at CHOP. “As one of the largest and most active pediatric orthopedic centers in the world, each year the Division of Orthopedics at CHOP sees hundreds of teens and young adults who either were born with a hip disorder or developed one during childhood.”

CHOP’s Young Adult Hip Preservation Program will be led by pediatric orthopedic surgeon Wudbhav N. Sankar, MD, one of a small group of surgeons in the country who perform complex hip procedures such as the Ganz periacetabular osteotomy, surgical dislocation of the hip, and head realignments following slipped epiphyses.

“This new multidisciplinary program will offer complete care: evaluation, treatment and long-term follow-up care,” said Sankar. “Unlike most adult hip programs, we have special expertise in hip preservation of adolescents and young adults to stop continued damage to bone and cartilage. By fixing a patient’s natural hip, we can prevent the need for premature replacement with an artificial hip.”

The Program’s specialists are also actively researching the conditions that cause hip deformities, investigating new surgical techniques, and tracking long-term outcomes for patients with hip disorders.

Learn more about the Young Adult Hip Preservation Program at CHOP.