Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) physicians presented new and updated research data, including 25 ePosters and 22 presentations, at the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of America (POSNA) annual conference in Orlando, Florida, May 6–8, 2026. Orthopedic leaders from CHOP also received awards and top recognition at the conference, organized by the nonprofit society dedicated to advancing musculoskeletal care for children.
At this year’s conference, CHOP’s Orthopedic Center faculty collectively showed an exceptional presence at POSNA, representing 13% of the featured 167 podium presentations and 17% of the 150 ePoster acceptances. These impactful contributions highlight the Center’s collaborative approach and rigorous scientific merit in advancing the field of pediatric orthopedic research.
The Distinguished Achievement Award was presented to John M. Flynn, MD, Chief of CHOP’s Orthopedic Center and Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Penn Medicine. The award honors members of the Society for distinguished contributions in pediatric orthopedic who have demonstrated excellence in education, leadership, advocacy, research, publications or contributions to the society.
Dr. Flynn specializes in pediatric spine deformity (including early‑onset scoliosis and thoracic insufficiency), fractures, and hip disorders. He has authored over 300 peer‑reviewed works, edited major pediatric orthopedics texts, received multiple teaching awards, lectures internationally, and holds numerous leadership roles. He is a POSNA Hall of Fame inductee and a University of Pennsylvania Academy of Master Clinicians honoree. Other highlights include:
- David A. Spiegel, MD, an attending surgeon in CHOP’s Orthopedic Center, was inducted into the POSNA Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors POSNA members who have displayed dedication to the Society, as well as teaching and mentoring, studying musculoskeletal conditions in children and caring for children with musculoskeletal conditions.
- Elliot Greenberg, PhD, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, won a POSNA Research Grant. He received $20,000 for his research “Ultrasound-based Imaging for Patellofemoral Instability” on a faster, cost-effective ultrasound approach for measuring kneecap alignment. Greenberg and his team will compare their new measure of kneecap alignment using ultrasound, to the images taken by MRI. They will also seek to determine the usefulness of this new ultrasound measure in predicting who will experience repetitive kneecap dislocations. Ultimately, the findings from the research will help improve care for children and adolescents with kneecap instability by offering more efficient, cheaper and accurate methods of determining reinjury risk and guiding treatment.
- Joseph L. Yellin, MD, was nominated for Best Clinical award paper titled “OATS Harvesting From the Femoral Condyle Is Not Benign: Knee Outcomes After OATS vs. OCA for Elbow OCD in Children.” This nomination is reserved for the top 10% of the entire program. Co-authors include Kevin Landrum; Brendon Mitchell; Stone Streeter; Kevin Xu; Apurva S. Shah, MD, MBA; J. Todd Lawrence, MD, PhD; Theodore J. Ganley, MD.
- Olivia Brauer, MD, a Clinical Fellow, was awarded a $2,500 Roshen N. Irani Microgrant for research on the “Emissions and Costs Associated with Bracing Versus Spica Casting in Pediatric Femur Fractures.” Dr. Brauer’s impactful research focuses on sustainability in pediatric orthopedics, a topic that is yet to be explored in this field.
Highlighted presentations included:
- Relief Without Risk: Ketorolac Can be Used for Pain Control in Pediatric Fracture Patients Without Increased Nonunion Risk
Authors: Simon Blanchard; Edward Dockery; Ismael Cañete; Jason B. Anari, MD; Keith D. Baldwin, MD, MPH, MSPT; Apurva S. Shah, MD, MBA - The Next Dimension: Addition of 3D Ultrasound Measurements Better Predicts Residual Acetabular Dysplasia Following Successful Pavlik Treatment of DDH Compared to 2D Metrics Alone
Authors: Simon Blanchard; Carter Hall; Adam McArthur; Sulagna Sarkar; Jacob Jaremko; Wudbhav N. Sankar, MD - Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Structured Training Program for Orthopedic Advanced Practice Providers in Pediatric Distal Radius Fracture Reduction
Authors: Ambika Nair; Caroline Fay; Meg Bowen; Akbar Syed; Beverly Teti; J. Todd Lawrence, MD, PhD - Does Turning Rods Change Patient Outcomes? Comparing Achieved Lengthening and Complication Rates Between Magnetically Controlled Growing Rod Orientations
Authors: Simon Blanchard; Thomas Coleman; Lorena Floccari, MD; Joshua Pahys, MD; Jacob Jordan; Sulagna Sarkar; John Stelzer, MD; Paul Sponseller, MD, MBA; Tenner Guillaume, MD; Michael Vitale, MD, MPH; Peter Sturm, MD; John M. Flynn, MD; Jason B. Anari, MD; Patrick J. Cahill, MD; Pediatric Spine Study Group
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) physicians presented new and updated research data, including 25 ePosters and 22 presentations, at the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of America (POSNA) annual conference in Orlando, Florida, May 6–8, 2026. Orthopedic leaders from CHOP also received awards and top recognition at the conference, organized by the nonprofit society dedicated to advancing musculoskeletal care for children.
At this year’s conference, CHOP’s Orthopedic Center faculty collectively showed an exceptional presence at POSNA, representing 13% of the featured 167 podium presentations and 17% of the 150 ePoster acceptances. These impactful contributions highlight the Center’s collaborative approach and rigorous scientific merit in advancing the field of pediatric orthopedic research.
The Distinguished Achievement Award was presented to John M. Flynn, MD, Chief of CHOP’s Orthopedic Center and Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Penn Medicine. The award honors members of the Society for distinguished contributions in pediatric orthopedic who have demonstrated excellence in education, leadership, advocacy, research, publications or contributions to the society.
Dr. Flynn specializes in pediatric spine deformity (including early‑onset scoliosis and thoracic insufficiency), fractures, and hip disorders. He has authored over 300 peer‑reviewed works, edited major pediatric orthopedics texts, received multiple teaching awards, lectures internationally, and holds numerous leadership roles. He is a POSNA Hall of Fame inductee and a University of Pennsylvania Academy of Master Clinicians honoree. Other highlights include:
- David A. Spiegel, MD, an attending surgeon in CHOP’s Orthopedic Center, was inducted into the POSNA Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors POSNA members who have displayed dedication to the Society, as well as teaching and mentoring, studying musculoskeletal conditions in children and caring for children with musculoskeletal conditions.
- Elliot Greenberg, PhD, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, won a POSNA Research Grant. He received $20,000 for his research “Ultrasound-based Imaging for Patellofemoral Instability” on a faster, cost-effective ultrasound approach for measuring kneecap alignment. Greenberg and his team will compare their new measure of kneecap alignment using ultrasound, to the images taken by MRI. They will also seek to determine the usefulness of this new ultrasound measure in predicting who will experience repetitive kneecap dislocations. Ultimately, the findings from the research will help improve care for children and adolescents with kneecap instability by offering more efficient, cheaper and accurate methods of determining reinjury risk and guiding treatment.
- Joseph L. Yellin, MD, was nominated for Best Clinical award paper titled “OATS Harvesting From the Femoral Condyle Is Not Benign: Knee Outcomes After OATS vs. OCA for Elbow OCD in Children.” This nomination is reserved for the top 10% of the entire program. Co-authors include Kevin Landrum; Brendon Mitchell; Stone Streeter; Kevin Xu; Apurva S. Shah, MD, MBA; J. Todd Lawrence, MD, PhD; Theodore J. Ganley, MD.
- Olivia Brauer, MD, a Clinical Fellow, was awarded a $2,500 Roshen N. Irani Microgrant for research on the “Emissions and Costs Associated with Bracing Versus Spica Casting in Pediatric Femur Fractures.” Dr. Brauer’s impactful research focuses on sustainability in pediatric orthopedics, a topic that is yet to be explored in this field.
Highlighted presentations included:
- Relief Without Risk: Ketorolac Can be Used for Pain Control in Pediatric Fracture Patients Without Increased Nonunion Risk
Authors: Simon Blanchard; Edward Dockery; Ismael Cañete; Jason B. Anari, MD; Keith D. Baldwin, MD, MPH, MSPT; Apurva S. Shah, MD, MBA - The Next Dimension: Addition of 3D Ultrasound Measurements Better Predicts Residual Acetabular Dysplasia Following Successful Pavlik Treatment of DDH Compared to 2D Metrics Alone
Authors: Simon Blanchard; Carter Hall; Adam McArthur; Sulagna Sarkar; Jacob Jaremko; Wudbhav N. Sankar, MD - Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Structured Training Program for Orthopedic Advanced Practice Providers in Pediatric Distal Radius Fracture Reduction
Authors: Ambika Nair; Caroline Fay; Meg Bowen; Akbar Syed; Beverly Teti; J. Todd Lawrence, MD, PhD - Does Turning Rods Change Patient Outcomes? Comparing Achieved Lengthening and Complication Rates Between Magnetically Controlled Growing Rod Orientations
Authors: Simon Blanchard; Thomas Coleman; Lorena Floccari, MD; Joshua Pahys, MD; Jacob Jordan; Sulagna Sarkar; John Stelzer, MD; Paul Sponseller, MD, MBA; Tenner Guillaume, MD; Michael Vitale, MD, MPH; Peter Sturm, MD; John M. Flynn, MD; Jason B. Anari, MD; Patrick J. Cahill, MD; Pediatric Spine Study Group
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