2026 Dr. Rex and Lillian Diveley Pediatric Orthopaedic Conference

• Apply surgical decision-making principles to select reconstructive strategies for severe acetabular and proximal femoral dysplasia in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
• Evaluate patient and deformity characteristics to optimize hip alignment and stability while minimizing complications.

• Compare the indications, benefits, and risks of closed reduction and Modified Dunn procedures for unstable SCFE.
• Formulate evidence-based surgical treatment plans for patients with severe, unstable SCFE based on clinical and radiographic findings.

• Differentiate surgical approaches for achieving hip reduction in patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip that has failed nonoperative management.
• Select appropriate surgical techniques based on patient age, anatomy, and factors influencing successful reduction and long-term hip function.

This case highlights a young patients with a traumatic fracture of the proximal femur.  We will discuss how we can best approach the surgical treatment of this high risk injuries in such a way as to reduce complication risks and how to manage common complications that may arise.

• Implement surgical strategies that reduce the risk of complications following pediatric femoral neck fractures.
• Recognize and manage common postoperative complications, including avascular necrosis and nonunion, to improve patient outcomes.

Vertebral body tethering has arisen as a popular option for adolescent scoliosis but comes with certain risks.  We will discuss how to best minimize complications and address the treatment of failed tethering cases.

• Compare the indications, benefits, limitations, and complication profiles of vertebral body tethering and spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
• Develop management strategies for preventing, recognizing, and treating complications associated with vertebral body tethering, including failed tether constructs.

• Identify clinical risk factors that contribute to intolerance of prone positioning in patients with syndromic or neuromuscular scoliosis.
• Apply perioperative strategies that optimize respiratory status and facilitate safe surgical correction of spinal deformity.

• Evaluate treatment options for pediatric spinal trauma in the setting of substantial remaining skeletal growth.
• Select stabilization strategies that balance immediate spinal protection with long-term growth and functional outcomes.

Intraoperative neuromonitoring alerts are a rare but stressful occurrence in the management of pediatric and adolescent scoliosis. We will review best practices for managing alerts and discuss how to predict patient outcomes when they occur.

• Implement evidence-based responses to intraoperative neuromonitoring alerts during scoliosis surgery.
• Assess the prognostic significance of neuromonitoring changes and apply appropriate postoperative management strategies to optimize neurologic outcomes.