Pediatric Bone and Joint Care (Orthopaedics)

Christine Sayama, an OHSU pediatric neurosurgeon, holds a pen and clipboard while sitting with a young person in a waiting area at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Christine Sayama is a pediatric neurosurgeon with a focus on spine conditions.

Children aren’t small adults. They grow and change every day. Our pediatric orthopaedic team provides care that grows with your child. We treat kids with broken bones, sports injuries and congenital (present at birth) conditions.

You’ll find:

  • Child orthopaedic specialists and surgeons who treat simple to complex bone and joint conditions.
  • A “conservative first” approach to treatment.
  • A spine care clinic just for children and teens.
  • Low-radiation imaging and advanced surgical technology.
  • Support when your teen moves to adult care.

Learn more

Our care

We treat children who suffer an injury or are born with an orthopaedic condition. The most common conditions we treat are:

  • Broken bones
  • Spinal deformities
  • Clubfoot
  • Hip dysplasia, dislocation and tears
  • Abnormal bone growth
  • Sports injuries
  • Problems related to neuromuscular conditions, such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida

Our excellence

  • Our surgeons are highly skilled specialists in pediatric orthopaedics.
  • We have a spine clinic just for children and teens.
  • OHSU is one of the only hospitals in Oregon with a 3D imaging system that provides detailed views of your child’s spine when they are standing.
  • We have the West Coast’s only child-focused intraoperative MRI to help with infant casting, hip dysplasia surgery and spinal surgery.

Team-based care

Your child’s team may include:

  • Pediatric orthopaedic surgeons
  • Pediatric anesthesiologists
  • Pathologists
  • Medical imaging technicians
  • Physical and occupational therapists
  • Orthotics and prosthetics specialists
  • Bone cancer experts
  • Neurologists
  • Social workers
  • Child life specialists

Our services

A young girl smiling with her arms raised and the backs of her hands pressed together facing downward, sitting up on a hospital exam table in front of a doctor.

Level 1 trauma and surgery center: With operating rooms just for kids.

Children’s spine clinic: Just for kids with complex conditions such as scoliosis.

Children’s neuromuscular clinic: For kids with orthopaedic problems related to cerebral palsy, spina bifida and muscle disease.

Pediatric ICU: Intensive care if your child needs to recover from major surgery.

Pediatric sports medicine: Expert care and surgical methods to allow bones and joints to develop normally.

Transitional support: For older teens moving to adult care at OHSU to continue receiving treatment. Teens with orthopaedic conditions such as scoliosis often need ongoing care.

Outreach clinics: Our orthopaedic specialists are available at convenient locations in the Portland area, as well as Vancouver and Medford.

Research

We’re involved in the latest orthopaedics research to find safer and more effective treatments for your child. Some of our research includes:

  • Pain relief after scoliosis surgery.
  • Evaluating new diagnosis and treatment methods for hip disorders.
  • Patellofemoral pain (pain in the front of the knee).
  • Patellar (kneecap) instability and fracture care for elbows.
  • Scoliosis treatments to shorten hospital stays and reduce complications.

Resources

For families

Questions? Please call us at 503-346-0640.

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Locations

Parking is free for patients and their visitors.

Doernbecher Children’s Hospital
700 S.W. Campus Drive, seventh floor
Portland, OR 97239
Map and directions

Find other locations across Oregon and in southwest Washington.