Lawrence Wells, MD

male silhouette icon
Lawrence Wells, MD, is the Associate Director of the Sports Medicine and Performance Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and specializes in treating elite young athletes.

Areas of Expertise: Arthroscopy, Athletic injuries in the shoulder, Pediatric fractures and trauma, Sports Medicine, Athletic injuries in the elbow, Athletic injuries in the knee, Osteonecrosis, Avascular necrosis
Locations: Main Campus; Specialty Care & Surgery Center, King of Prussia; Specialty Care & Surgery Center, Brandywine Valley; Specialty Care, Virtua

Appointments and Referrals: 1-800-TRY-CHOP (1-800-879-2467)

Background

Lawrence Wells, MD, is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine. He completed his orthopedics surgery residency at the University of California-San Francisco and a fellowship in pediatric orthopedic surgery in Cincinnati, OH.

In 1990, Dr. Wells joined the Permanente Medical Group in South San Francisco, CA, and worked as a staff physician at the Kaiser South San Francisco facility. Dr. Wells also provided care for children at University of California-San Francisco as an Assistant Clinical professor of Orthopedic Surgery. In 1998, Dr. Wells was appointed Assistant Physician-in-chief at Kaiser South in San Francisco.

Dr. Wells was recruited to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in 2002.

Dr. Wells’ academic interests include pediatric sports medicine. He has written extensively and lectured nationally about injury recovery and prevention in the pediatric and adolescent athlete. His special interests include arthroscopic surgery for shoulder injuries and major knee ligament injuries (ACL) in pediatric and adolescent athletes with open growth plates.

Children with musculoskeletal trauma, osteonecrosis, avascular necrosis and sports related injuries travel from all over the country to obtain world-class care at CHOP. If your family has been told your child may need surgery, and you would like an expert opinion from Dr. Wells, the CHOP Orthopaedics Nurse Navigator can coordinate travel arrangements and assist in streamlined access to the personalized care and excellence that CHOP and Dr. Wells have to offer.

Dr. Wells serves as the Associate Director of Sports Medicine at CHOP and the Director of Orthopaedic Ambulatory Operations at CHOP's Specialty Care Center in Voorhees, NJ, and is a board member of the Philadelphia Orthopedic Society. He also serves as a departmental safety officer and committees related to patient satisfaction and infection prevention.

Dr. Wells has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and chapters. He is certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and holds a certificate of added qualification in orthopaedic sports medicine.

Education and Training

Medical School

MD - University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA

Internship

University of California Hospitals, Department of Surgery, San Francisco, CA

Residency

Orthopaedic Surgery - University of California Hospitals, San Francisco, CA
San Francisco General Hospital, Veteran's Administration Hospital, San Francisco, CA

Fellowship

Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery - Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH

Board Certification

Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
Orthopaedic Surgery

Titles and Academic Titles

Attending Surgeon

Associate Director, Sports Medicine

Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Conditions Treated

Departments and Services

Research Interests

Articular cartilage injury and repair mechanisms
Avascular necrosis
Stress fractures in adolescents
Post-operative pain management in ambulatory surgery patients

 

Publications

Papers

2020

Leska TM, McNeely, LW, Wells L. How We Continued to Care for Our Patients: The Rapid Implementation of Telemedicine to Provide Pediatric Musculoskeletal Care in Response to COVID-19 at a Large Academic Children’s Hospital. JPOSNA. Vol 2 No 1 (2020): May 2020.

2017

Chilutti Abel K, Baldwin K, Chuo J, Ganley T, Kim A, Wells L, Giordano T. Can Telemedicine Be Used for Adolescent Postoperative Knee Arthroscopy Follow-up? JBJS JOPA. 2017; 5(4): e26.

2011

Namdari S, Ganley TJ, Baldwin K, Rendon SN, Hosalkar H, Nikci V, et al. Fixation of displaced midshaft clavicle fractures in skeletally immature patients. J Pediatr Orthop. 2011 Jul-Aug;31(5):507-11. Cited in PubMed: PMID 21654457.

2010

Greenberg E, Wells L. Hip joint capsule disruption in a young female gymnast. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2010 Nov;40(11):761. Cited in PubMed: PMID 21041967. No abstract available

Park S, Hsu JE, Rendon N, Wolfgruber H, Wells L. The utility of posterior sloping angle in predicting contralateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis. J Pediatr Orthop. 2010 Oct-Nov;30(7):683-9. Cited in PubMed: PMID 20864853.

2009 

Wells L, Dyke J, Albaugh J, Ganley TJ. Adolescent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a retrospective analysis of quadriceps strength recovery and return to full activity after surgery. J Pediatric Orthop. 2009 Jul-Aug;29(5):486-9. Cited in PubMed: PMID 19568022.

Kleposki RW, Wells L, Wilson M, Sehgal K. Rotator cuff injuries in skeletally immature patients: prevention and indications for the orthopaedic nurse. Orthop Nurs. 2009 May-Jun;28(3):134-8; quiz 139-40. Cited in PubMed: PMID 19494761.

Cameron D, Wells L. Hemiepiphyseal stapling for treatment of genu valgum: a case report, University of Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Journal. 2009 Apr;19: 27. 

Abstracts

2009

Wells L, Dyke J, Albaugh J, Ganley TJ. Pediatric ACL reconstruction: analysis of hamstring recovery after surgery [abstract]. Proceedings of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery Annual Meeting; Las Vegas, 2009 Feb; NV. p. 107.

Goebel J, Abel K, Ganley TJ, Wells L, Winell JJ. ACL injuries in the pediatric population: a report of our center's experience [abstract]. Proceedings of Pediatric Society of North America Annual Meeting; 2009 Apr. p. 89.

Winell J, Goebel J, Abel K, Ganley T, Wells L. ACL injuries in the pediatric population: a report of our center's experience [abstract]. Proceedings of European Pediatric Orthopaedic Society 2009 Annual Meeting, 2009 Apr; Lisboa, Portugal.

Flynn JM, Garner MR, Jones KJ, Wolfgruber HC, D'Italia J, Davidson RS, et al. A "walking spica" cast is better than a traditional spica cast for low-energy femur fractures: results of a prospective cohort trial [abstract]. Proceedings of Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America 2009 Annual Meeting. 2009, Apr.

Wells L, Dyke JA, Albaugh J, Ganley TJ. Pediatric anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a retrospective analysis of hamstring strength recovery after surgery [abstract]. Proceedings of Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America 2009 Annual Meeting. 2009 Apr. p. 203.

Goebel JA, Abel K, Ganley T, Wells L, Winell JJ. ACL injuries in the pediatric population: a report of our center's experience [abstract]. Proceedings 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition; 2009 Oct.

Flynn JM, Garner MR, Jones KJ, Wolfgruber HC, D'Italia J, Davidson RS, et al. A "walking spica" cast is better than a traditional spica cast for low-energy femur fractures: results of a prospective cohort trial proceedings [abstract]. 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition; 2009 Oct. 

Park SD, Hsu JE, Rendon NN, Wolfgruber HC, Wells L. The utility of posterior sloping angle in predicting contralateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis [abstract]. Proceedings 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition. 2009 Oct.

Books

Chapters

2010

Wells L, Sehgal K, Dormans JP. Common fractures. In: Kliegman RM, editor. Nelson's textbook of pediatrics. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; 2010. ch. 682.

Wells L, Sehgal K. The knee. In: Kliegman RM, editor. Nelson's textbook of pediatrics. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; 2010. ch. 676.

Wells L, Sehgal K, Dormans JP. Evaluation of child. In: Kliegman RM, editor. Nelson's textbook of pediatrics. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; 2010. ch. 672.

Wells L, Sehgal K. Torsional and angular deformities. In Kliegman RM, editor. Nelson's textbook of pediatrics. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; 2010. ch. 674.

2004

Wells L. Lower extremity trauma. In: Dormans J, editor. Requisites in pediatrics: pediatric orthopaedics & sports medicine. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2004.

2003

Wells L. Sports medicine knee pain. In: Dormans J, editor. Essentials of pediatric orthopaedics. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2003. ch. 24.

1994

Wells L. A cost analysis of patient controlled analgesia in patients undergoing outpatient rotator cuff surgery. Leroy Abbott Orthopaedic Society Proceedings 25, 1994.

Posters and Presentations

2009

Wells L. Pediatric ACL reconstruction: analysis of hamstring recovery after surgery [presentation]. 2009 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery Annual Meeting; 2009 Feb; Las Vegas, NV.

Wells L. ACL injuries in the pediatric population: a report of our center's experience [presentation]. European Pediatric Orthopaedic Society 28th Annual Meeting; 2009 Apr; Lisboa, Portugal.

Wells L. Management of osteochondral defects in children [presentation]. National Medical Association 2009 Annual Meeting; 2009 Jul; Las Vegas, NV.

Editorial and Academic Positions

Editorial positions

2009-present, Reviewer, University of Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Journal
2009-present, Co-editor, Pediatric section, AAOS Essentials of Musculoskeletal Care
2009-present, Reviewer, Journal of Children's Orthopaedics
2007-present, Reviewer, Orthopedics
2005-present, Reviewer, Society of Critical Care Medicine
2005-present, Reviewer, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
2005-present, Reviewer, Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics
2005-present, Reviewer, Journal of Arthroscopy and Related Research
2004-present,  Reviewer, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
2003-present, Reviewer, Annals of Internal Medicine