Practice of Pædiatric Orthopædics

Introduction

The UCSF Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship is designed to provide the fellow with a comprehensive and well-rounded training in all aspecs of pediatric orthopaedics. Our mission is to train fellows to be clinically and technically competent and well-prepared for providing outstanding care to all pediatric patients. This fellowship is based on an adult-learning model and offers an in-depth experience in all subspecialty areas of pediatric orthopaedic surgery with a spectrum of complexity, including pediatric trauma, spinal deformity, pediatric sports, hip and limb deformity.

Primary training sites include UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland which is a level 1 pediatric trauma center, and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco. Both sites being major referral centers for Central and Northern California.

In the second half of the training period, fellows have the option to pursue a 4 week overseas elective in Global Orthopaedics. If interested, they can also pursue a clinical elective at the UC Davis/Northern California Shriner’s Hospital for Children for additional experience in the Motion Analysis Laboratory and pediatric hand surgery. In addition to exceptional clinical training, fellows are given access to UCSF’s rich research infrastructure, teach our medical students and residents, and participate in UCSF’s extensive global health initiative

This is a book founded upon principles and guided by practicality. It was conceived by Dr. Lynn Staheli with the goal of presenting the work of the pædiatric orthopædic surgeon in a simple but never simplistic, direct as opposed to sinuous, and most importantly readable form. We have adhered faithfully to Ockham’s Principle of Parsimony, willing to sacrifice comprehensiveness at the altar of clarity for what is first and foremost a teaching tool and not a surgical manual or a research compendium. The language is directive because brevity begets clarity.

Figures are rudimentary in order that they may be accessible to the reader, who might imagine drawing them, and not to distract from the essential information. Peaks and valleys are emphasized: let the reader fill in what lies between. We acknowledge when consensus has not been reached and uncertainty leads to variability. Where there is consensus, facts are presented. Controversy is acknowledged in so far as it influences understanding and management. Where there is clinical equipoise, no recommendation is given to avoid prejudice. We hope that the reader will find the book useful and that our patients and colleagues will accept it in gratitude for all they have taught us.

Mohammad Diab, MD

Lynn T. Staheli, MD