Brendan A. Williams, MD

male silhouette icon
Brendan A. Williams, MD, is an attending pediatric orthopaedic surgeon with the Division of Orthopaedics and the Sports Medicine and Performance Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Areas of Expertise: ACL reconstruction in elite athletes, Arthroscopic meniscus repair and athletic injuries of the knee and shoulder, Meniscus repair, Patella dislocation and instability repair, Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the knee and elbow, Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the knee and ankle, Treatment of cartilage lesions (OCD lesions), Cartilage preservation, Shoulder dislocations and instability repair, Sports medicine, Elbow injuries, throwing and the overhead athlete, Athletic injuries in knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle, Pediatric fractures and trauma
Locations: Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care; Specialty Care & Surgery Center, Bucks County; Specialty Care, Abington; Specialty Care & Surgery Center, Brandywine Valley; Specialty Care, King of Prussia; Middleman Family Pavilion

Appointments, Referrals and Video Visits: 215-590-1527

Background

Brendan A. Williams, MD, is an attending orthopaedic surgeon with the Division of Orthopaedics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). He specializes in the arthroscopic treatment of knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle conditions.

Dr. Williams’ philosophy of care is rooted in his love of mentoring and teaching. He works closely with families, giving parents information and children the tools they need to heal and improve.

“My desire to become a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon was rooted in my experiences mentoring younger students. I believe it is a career with a similar potential to alter children’s lives and positively impact their future,” he says.

As a former collegiate sprinter, Dr. Williams has a special passion for caring for athletes of all ages and understands the rigors of participating in sports at a high level. He treats all types of orthopaedic injuries, but has a special interest in the management of conditions unique to the growing athlete. Dr. Williams is also a member of the Running Medicine and Performance Clinic team at CHOP, helping to care for issues unique to this population.

Along with his work at CHOP, Dr. Williams is an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He serves on the Educational Programs Committee of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA), and is a member of the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) Emerging Leaders Program, as well as a number of other professional organizations.

In addition to his clinical role, Dr. Williams is involved with research examining the outcomes of reconstructive procedures for anterior cruciate ligament injuries and patellar dislocations as well as optimizing pain management practices and reducing opioid consumption following orthopaedic procedures.

Outside of work, Dr. Williams enjoys running, basketball, dancing, hiking and travelling. His wife, Diana Montoya-Williams, MD, is a CHOP neonatologist. They have two young sons and a dog. The couple also serves on the board of directors of Children Beyond Our Borders, a nonprofit serving to educate, empower and improve the health and well-being of children locally and abroad.

Education and Training

Medical School

MD - Columbia University - College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY

Internship

Orthopaedic Surgery - University of Florida Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, Gainesville, FL

Residency

Orthopaedic Surgery - University of Florida Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, Gainesville, FL (Chief Resident)

Fellowship

Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery - Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Orthopaedic Research - University of Florida Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, Gainesville, FL
Pre-doctoral Pediatric Orthopaedic Research - Columbia University - College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY

Board Certification

Orthopaedic Surgery – American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Titles and Academic Titles

Attending Orthopaedic Surgeon

Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Departments and Services

Publications

Papers

2019

Williams BA, Michel RD, LaChaud GY, Weltsch D, Farmer KW, King JJ. Outcome Measure Utilization Demonstrates No Relation to Journal Rank or Level of Evidence for Superior Labral Tears of the Shoulder. Cureus. 2020. [In Press].

Hughes MS, Swarup I, Makarewich CA, Williams BA, Talwar D, Cahill PJ, Flynn JM, Anari JB.  Expert Consensus for Early Onset Scoliosis Surgery. J Pediatr Orthop. 2019. [In Press].

Swarup I, Williams BA, Talwar D, Sankar WN.  Rates of Contralateral SCFE in the United States: Analysis of the Pediatric Health Information System. J Pediatr Orthop. 2019. [In Press].

Smith J, Williams BA, Swan TB.  Trampoline Troubles: Serious Traumatic Injuries in Children from a Trampoline Park, a Case Series. International Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2019 [In Press].

Williams BA , Gil J, Farmer KW. Late Migration of an Adjustable-Loop Cortical Suspension Device in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction. Case Rep Orthop. 2019. PMID: 31531256.

Michael RJ, Williams BA, Laguerre MD, Struk A, Schoch B, Wright TW, Farmer KW, Vasilopoulos T, King JJ. Correlation of Multiple Patient Reported Outcome Measures Across Follow-Up In Patients Undergoing Primary Shoulder Arthroplasty. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2019 May 8. pii: S1058-2746(19)30168-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2019.02.023. [Epub ahead of print]

Williams BA, Guerrero A, Blakemore LC, Frick SL. Surveying the POSNA landscape - What can we learn from society survey studies? J Pediatr Orthop. 2019 Apr 23. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000001383. [Epub ahead of print]

2018

Williams BA, Alvarado CA, Montoya-Williams DC, Matthias RC, Blakemore LC. Buckling down on torus fractures: has evolving evidence affected practice? J. Child. Orthop. 2018; 12, 1–6. PMID: 29707050

2017

Williams BA, McFadden JP, Teurlings TL, Blakemore LC. Pediatric Injuries at an Annual Motocross Competition: Rates and Severity. J Pediatr Orthop. 2017;37(3):e168–e173. PMID: 27636910.

2016

Matsumoto H, Williams B, Park HY, Yoshimachi JY, Roye BD, Roye DP Jr, Akbarnia BA, Emans J, Skaggs D, Smith JT, Vitale MG. The Final 24-Item Early Onset Scoliosis Questionnaires (EOSQ-24): Validity, Reliability and Responsiveness. J Pediatr Orthop. 2016 Jun 13. PMID: 27299779.

2014

Williams BA, Matsumoto H, McCalla DJ, Akbarnia BA, Blakemore LC, Betz RR, Flynn JM, Johnston CE, McCarthy RE, Roye DP Jr, Skaggs DL, Smith JT, Snyder BD, Sponseller PD, Sturm PF, Thompson GH, Yazici M, Vitale MG. Development and initial validation of the Classification of Early-Onset Scoliosis (C-EOS). J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2014 Aug 20;96(16):1359–1367. PMID: 25143496.

Matsumoto H, Williams BA, Corona J, Comer JS, Fisher PW, Neria Y, Roye BD, Roye DP, Vitale MG. Psychosocial effects of repetitive surgeries in children with early-onset scoliosis: are we putting them at risk? J Pediatr Orthop. 2014 Mar;34(2):172–178. PMID: 23872801.

2013

Mackenzie WGS, Matsumoto H, Williams BA, Corona J, Lee C, Cody SR, Covington L, Saiman L, Flynn JM, Skaggs DL, Roye DP Jr, Vitale MG. Surgical site infection following spinal instrumentation for scoliosis: a multicenter analysis of rates, risk factors, and pathogens. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2013 May 1;95(9):800–6, S1–2. PMID: 23636186

Williams BA, Asghar J, Matsumoto H, Flynn JM, Roye DP Jr, Vitale MG. More experienced surgeons less likely to fuse: a focus group review of 315 hypothetical EOS cases. J Pediatr Orthop. 2013 Jan;33(1):68–74. PMID: 23232383.

2012

Roye BD, Wright ML, Williams BA, Matsumoto H, Corona J, Hyman JE, Roye DP Jr, Vitale MG. Does ScoliScore provide more information than traditional clinical estimates of curve progression? Spine. 2012 Dec 1;37(25):2099–2103. PMID: 22614798.

2010

Boettner F, Altneu EI, Williams BA, Hepinstall M, Sculco TP. Non-anemic patients do not benefit from autologous blood donation before total hip replacement. HSS J. 2010 Feb;6(1):66–70. PMID: PMC2821500.

Books

Chapters

2017

Roye DP, Downs J, Baike G, Williams BA. Orthopaedic Issues in Rett Syndrome. In: Rett Syndrome. Edited by Walter E Kaufmann, Alan Percy, Angus Clarke, Helen Leonard and SakkuBai Naidu. Mac Keith Press, 2017.

Posters and Presentations

2020

Malige A, Bram JT, McNeely LW, Ganley TJ, Williams BA. Decreased Prescribing of Postoperative Opioids In Pediatric ACL Reconstruction - Treatment Trends At A Single Center. Poster presentation at Pediatric Academic Societies 2020 Meeting - Philadelphia, PA - April 29-May 6, 2020.

Williams BA, Malige A, Harwood K, Markiewitz N, Wells L, Baldwin K.  Seasonal Variation and Age-Related Risk In Home and Trampoline Park Injuries - An Updated Review of the NEISS Database. Poster presentation at Pediatric Academic Societies 2020 Meeting - Philadelphia, PA - April 29-May 6, 2020.

Williams BA, Magee LC, McNeely LW, Makarewich CA, Swarup I, Shah AS. Does Informed Consent Reduce Overprescription of Opioids in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery? Platform presentation at Pediatric Academic Societies 2020 Meeting - Philadelphia, PA - April 29-May 6, 2020.

Williams BA, Wright ML, Bram JT, Patel NM, Ganley TJ. Increased BMI is Associated With Complex Meniscal Tear Patterns In Pediatric Patients Undergoing ACL Reconstruction. Oral presentation at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America - San Diego, CA - May 13-16, 2020.

Anandarajan D, Williams BA, Markiewitz N, Talwar D, Wells L.  Perioperative Opioid Exposure Patterns In Pediatric ACL Patients: A Ten Year Administrative Database Study. Poster presentation at the 7th Annual Meeting of the Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine Society - Glendale, AZ - January 23-25, 2020.

Markiewitz N, Swarup I, Talwar D, Muhly T, Wells L, Williams BA. Perioperative Pain Management Practices Vary Across Time and Setting of Pediatric ACL-Related Surgery - National Trends From The PHIS Database. E-poster presentation at the 7th Annual Meeting of the Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine Society - Glendale, AZ - January 23-25, 2020.

2019

Williams BA (presenter), McClung A,, Shah SA, Blakemore LC, Pawelek J, Sponseller PD, Parent S, Emans JB, Sturm PF, Yaszay B, Akbarnia BA, Growing Spine Study Group. Intraspinal MRI Abnormalities in Early-Onset Scoliosis: Rates Across A Global Cohort. Oral presentation at the 54th Annual Meeting of the Scoliosis Research Society - Montreal, Canada - September 18-21, 2019.

Williams BA (presenter), McClung A,, Shah SA, Blakemore LC, Pawelek J, Sponseller PD, Parent S, Emans JB, Sturm PF, Yaszay B, Akbarnia BA, Growing Spine Study Group. Intraspinal MRI Abnormalities in Early-Onset Scoliosis: Rates Across A Global Cohort. Oral presentation at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America - Charlotte, NC - May 15-18, 2019.

Anandarajan D (presenter), Williams BA, Talwar D, Wells L. Regional Variation In Pediatric Opioid Prescription Rates: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Oral presentation at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Pediatric Research In Sports Medicine Society - Atlanta, GA - January 17-19, 2019.

2018

McClung A, Williams BA, Shah SA, Blakemore LC (presenter), Pawelek J, Sponseller PD, Parent S, Emans JB, Sturm PF, Yaszay B, Akbarnia BA, Growing Spine Study Group. Intraspinal MRI Abnormalities in Early-Onset Scoliosis: Rates Across A Global Cohort. E-Poster presentation at the 2018 International Congress on Early Onset Scoliosis - Lisbon, Portugal - November 15-16, 2018.

McClung A, Williams BA, Shah SA, Blakemore LC (presenter), Pawelek J, Sponseller PD, Parent S, Emans JB, Sturm PF, Yaszay B, Akbarnia BA, Growing Spine Study Group. Spinal MRI Utilization in Patients with Early-Onset Scoliosis – Review of a Large Multi-Center Database. E-Poster presentation at the 2018 International Congress on Early Onset Scoliosis - Lisbon, Portugal - November 15-16, 2018.

Laguerre MD (presenter), Williams BA, Michael RJ, Struk A, Schoch B, Wright TW, King JJ. Correlation of Multiple Patient Reported Outcome Measures Across Follow-Up In Patients Undergoing Primary Shoulder Arthroplasty. Oral presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Orthopaedic Association - Palm Beach, FL - July 11-14, 2018.

Michael RJ, Williams BA, Laguerre MD (presenter), Struk A, Schoch B, Wright TW, King JJ. The Normalized Constant Score Strongly Correlates With Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Following Primary Shoulder Arthroplasty. Oral presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Orthopaedic Association - Palm Beach, FL - July 11-14, 2018.

McClung A, Williams BA, Shah SA, Blakemore LC (presenter), Pawelek J, Sponseller PD, Parent S, Emans JB, Sturm PF, Yaszay B, Akbarnia BA, Growing Spine Study Group. Intraspinal MRI Abnormalities in Early-Onset Scoliosis: Rates Across A Global Cohort. Oral presentation at the 25th International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) - Los Angeles, CA - July 11-14, 2018.

Williams BA (presenter), Palumbo NE, Phillips SA, Matthias RC, Molinari SC, Blakemore LC. What Caregivers Want - Immobilization Preferences For Pediatric Buckle Fractures of the Wrist. Oral presentation at the Florida Orthopaedic Society Annual Scientific Meeting - St. Petersburg, FL - June 21-24, 2018.

Michael RJ (presenter), Williams BA, Laguerre MD, Struk A, Schoch B, Wright TW, King JJ. The Normalized Constant Score Strongly Correlates With Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Following Primary Shoulder Arthroplasty. Oral presentation at the Florida Orthopaedic Society Annual Scientific Meeting - St. Petersburg, FL - June 21-24, 2018.

Williams BA (presenter), Palumbo NE, Phillips SA, Matthias RC, Molinari SC, Blakemore LC. What They Want - Caregiver and Patient Immobilization Preferences For Pediatric Buckle Fractures of the Wrist. Oral presentation at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America - Austin, TX - May 9-12, 2018.

Williams BA (presenter), Palumbo NE, Phillips SA, Matthias RC, Molinari SC, Blakemore LC. What Caregivers Want - Immobilization Preferences For Pediatric Buckle Fractures of the Wrist. Poster presentation at the Pediatric Academic Society Annual Meeting - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - May 5-8, 2018.

Williams BA, Palumbo NE (presenter), Phillips SA, Matthias RC, Molinari SC, Blakemore LC. What Caregivers Want - Immobilization Preferences For Pediatric Buckle Fractures of the Wrist. Poster presentation at the Institute for Child Health Policy Annual Research Day - Gainesville, FL - April 5, 2018.

Williams BA, Palumbo NE (presenter), Phillips SA, Matthias RC, Molinari SC, Blakemore LC. What Caregivers Want - Immobilization Preferences For Pediatric Buckle Fractures of the Wrist. Poster presentation at the University of Florida College of Medicine Celebration of Research Poster Day - Gainesville, FL - February 19, 2018.

Williams BA (presenter), Gil JN, Phillips SA, Matthias RC, Molinari SC, Blakemore LC. Buckling down on torus fractures - Assessing provider preferences, barriers and influential factors. Poster presentation at the University of Florida College of Medicine Celebration of Research Poster Day - Gainesville, FL - February 19, 2018.

Williams BA, Gil JN (presenter), Phillips SA, Clay TB, Blakemore LC, Molinari SC. SoftCast in the early management of clubfoot - A single institution’s experience. Poster presentation at the University of Florida College of Medicine Celebration of Research Poster Day - Gainesville, FL - February 19, 2018.

Williams BA, Guerrero A (presenter), Frick SL, Blakemore LC. Surveying the POSNA landscape - What can we learn from society survey studies? Poster presentation at the University of Florida College of Medicine Celebration of Research Poster Day - Gainesville, FL - February 19, 2018.

Laguerre MD (presenter), Williams BA, Michael RJ, Struk A, Schoch B, Wright TW, King JJ. Correlation of Multiple Patient Reported Outcome Measures Across Follow-Up In Patients Undergoing Primary Shoulder Arthroplasty. Poster presentation at the University of Florida College of Medicine Celebration of Research Poster Day - Gainesville, FL - February 19, 2018.

Michael RJ, Williams BA, Laguerre MD (presenter), Struk A, Schoch B, Wright TW, King JJ. The Normalized Constant Score Strongly Correlates With Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Following Primary Shoulder Arthroplasty. Poster presentation at the University of Florida College of Medicine Celebration of Research Poster Day - Gainesville, FL - February 19, 2018.

2017

Williams BA, Michel RD, LaChaud GY (presenter), Farmer KW, King JJ. No Map For SLAPs: Study “Quality” Is Poorly Defined By Outcome Measure Utilization? Oral presentation at the Orthopaedic Summit 2017: Evolving Techniques - Las Vegas, NV - December 6-9, 2017.

Williams BA (presenter), Alvarado CA, Montoya-Williams DC, Matthias RC, Blakemore LC. Buckling Down On Torus Fractures: Has Evolving Evidence Affected Practice? Oral presentation at the Section on Orthopaedics of the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition - Chicago, IL - September 16-19, 2017.

Williams BA (presenter), Michel RD, LaChaud GY, Farmer KW, King JJ. A Map For Slaps: How Are Outcomes Measured For Superior Labral Tears Of The Shoulder? Oral presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Orthopaedic Association - Hilton Head, NC - June 28-July 1, 2017.

Williams BA, Alvarado CA, Montoya-Williams DC, Matthias RC, Blakemore LC. Buckling Down On Torus Fractures: Has Evolving Evidence Affected Practice? E-poster presentation at the Florida Orthopaedic Society Annual Meeting - Key Largo, FL - May 18-May 21, 2017.

Williams BA, Alvarado CA, Montoya-Williams DC (presenter), Matthias RC, Blakemore LC. Buckling Down On Torus Fractures: Has Evolving Evidence Affected Practice? Poster presentation at the Institute for Child Health Policy Annual Research Day - Gainesville, FL - April 23, 2017.

Williams BA, Alvarado C (presenter), Montoya-Williams DC, Matthias RC, Blakemore LC. Buckling Down On Torus Fractures: Has Evolving Evidence Affected Practice? Oral presentation at the Mid America Orthopaedic Society Annual Meeting - Amelia Island, FL - April 19-23, 2017.

Williams BA, Alvarado CA (presenter), Montoya-Williams DC, Matthias RC, Blakemore LC. Buckling Down On Torus Fractures: Has Evolving Evidence Affected Practice? Poster presentation at the University of Florida College of Medicine Celebration of Research Poster Day - Gainesville, FL - February 27, 2017.

Williams BA, Michel RD (presenter), LaChaud GY, Farmer KW, King JJ. A Map For Slaps: How Are Outcomes Measured For Superior Labral Tears Of The Shoulder? Poster presentation at the University of Florida College of Medicine Celebration of Research Poster Day - Gainesville, FL - February 27, 2017.

Invited Lectures

2020

Williams BA. “Pediatric Sports Injuries: All You Kneed To Know!” - CHOP Talks - Surgical Aspects of Primary Care, Philadelphia, PA. March 2020.

2019

Williams BA. “Pediatric Sports Injuries: Common Problems and Treatment”, 17th Annual Topics Explored: Pediatric and Surgical Trauma Nursing Conference, Philadelphia, PA. Nov 2019.

Williams BA. "Management of Pediatric ACL Tears", Philadelphia Sports Medicine Conference, Philadelphia, PA. July 2019.

Williams BA. “Pediatric Sports Injuries About The Knee”, CHOP Talks - A Comprehensive Sports Medicine Update, Philadelphia, PA. Sept 2019.

Awards and Honors

2019, Clinical Scholar and Career Development Program, Orthopaedic Research Society
2019, International Pediatric Orthopaedic Symposium Top Gun, 2nd Place, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America
2019, International Pediatric Orthopaedic Symposium Scholarship, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America
2018, Fellow Research Award, University of Florida - Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation
2017, Resident Research Award, University of Florida - Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation
2016-2017, Outstanding Resident Educator Award, University of Florida - Society of Teaching Scholars
2016, Resident Leadership Forum Attendee, American Orthopaedic Association
2012, Gold Humanism Honor Society, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
2011, Best Orthopaedic Poster Presentation, National Student Research Forum
2007-2012, Barber Scholar, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
2006, The Myers Award, Princeton Varsity Track and Field
2006, Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, Princeton University
2006, Poster Prize for Field Research, Princeton University Senior Symposium
2000-2002, George Marshall Scholarship, Sidwell Friends School
 

Editorial and Academic Positions

Academic and Institutional Committees

2015-2017 Housestaff Quality and Patient Safety Committee, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

2014-2016 Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Selection Committee, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

2019-present Orthopaedics Post-op Telehealth Advisor Group, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

2019-present Mass Casualty Incident Preparedness Committee (Orthopaedic Surgery Co-Representative)

Leadership and Memberships

Memberships in Professional Organizations

International

2019-present Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine (Patellofemoral Instability Research Interest Group) 

2018-present, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

2018-present, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (Educational Programs Committee - Orthobullets Subcommittee)
2017-present, American Orthopaedic Association
2017-present, Emerging Leaders Program

National

2019-present, J. Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society
2018-present, American Academy of Pediatrics