
We are specialists in pediatric Orthopaedics and Traumatology. We treat complex conditions of the locomotor system.
The Pediatric Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department studies and treats traumatic, congenital and acquired disorders in the locomotive system from birth through to maturity.
Our work is based on six pillars:
- Reference centre.
- Superspecialisation.
- Multidisciplinarity.
- Scientific Activity.
- High level of technology.
- The patient at the centre of all our activity.
Why SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital?
We are highly specialized in complex Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology.
We are a leader in Spain and internationally
We are highly specialized in complex Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology
- We are a reference centre in Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology in Spain for the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs, and Social Welfare, with three CSUR accreditations: Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Brachial Plexus Surgery, and Hereditary Epidermolysis Bullosa.
- We belong to the European Skeletal Dysplasia Network (ERN Bond).
- Our department is a leader in surgery on bone tumours and a leader in complex pelvis and hip reconstructions.
- We have international consultants on the treatment of clubfoot using the Ponseti method.
- Our department is a national reference department in hip reconstruction in adolescents.
- We collaborate on international projects aimed at treating idiopathic scoliosis, and we also apply the most advanced intraoperative imaging techniques to ensure safety during surgery.
We have highly specialised units to offer comprehensive and excellent care to our patients.
Superspecialisation
We have highly specialised units to offer comprehensive and excellent care to our patients.
Our organisation into high specialised units enables us to offer extremely knowledgeable and experienced care, thus ensuring the best possible results for our patients.
We are the Pediatric Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department with the largest team in Spain, and one of the largest in Europe, which enables our professionals to specialise in highly specific areas, with greater in depth knowledge.
We have highly specialised units to offer comprehensive and excellent care to our patients. For this, we have 5 organisational units:
- Upper limb: Lesions of the brachial plexus, peripheral nerve, congenital conditions, and arthrogryposis, among others, in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, arm, forearm, and hand.
- Lower limb: We apply state-of-the-art surgical techniques for managing axial deformities and dysmetrias in the lower limbs. We also have extensive experience in treating conditions of the foot, knee, and hip.
- Tumours, infections, and dysplasias: We have a multidisciplinary team with experts in osteoarticular infections and tumours, dysplasias, metabolic bone diseases, megaprosthesis implants for tumours and surgery for osteogenesis imperfecta.
- Spine: We have extensive experience in spine care. We treat all kinds of conditions, such as scoliosis, spondyliolysis, vertebral malformations, tumours, and vertebral injuries, among others.
- Traumatology and Emergency Care: Experts in fractures and emergency paediatric injuries. We have extensive experience in treating paediatric patients with multiple trauma and in performing surgery for injuries to the growing locomotor system.
We provide a multidisciplinary focus thanks to collaboration with professionals from other specialties.
Multidisciplinarity
We provide a multidisciplinary focus thanks to collaboration with professionals from other specialties.
- We have 19 comprehensive care committees for our patients in several skill areas.
- We coordinate the Scoliosis, Skeletal Dysplasia, Brachial Plexus, and Musculoskeletal Procedures Units.
We participate in multiple national and international study groups and we are focused on translational research.
We innovate and conduct research to make advances
We participate in multiple national and international study groups and we are focused on translational research
We have extensive experience in infant and juvenile prostheses. Currently, we are monitoring more than 100 children and adolescents with amputations at different levels of the arms and legs. In 2008, the SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital was the first in Europe to implant a bionic hand in a child.
We are leaders in microsurgical tissue transplants for locomotor system regeneration.
We improved the safety and outcomes of our peripheral nerve, brachial plexus, and spinal surgery using intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring.
We have the most advanced health tech support.
High level of technology
We have the most advanced health tech support.
- Our cutting-edge operating theatres have magnetic resonance imaging, computerised tomography (CT), and a hybrid arch.
- We have incorporated surgical navigation techniques to maximise the efficiency of our procedures.
- We use simulations with 3D technology to reproduce the patient's anatomy and plan highly complex surgeries, greatly improving its precision.
- We have modern tools for conducting gait studies
Our patients and their families, the focus of our work.
Comprehensive and coordinated care
Our patients and their families, the focus of our work
We treat and care for our patients, always focusing on their values and preferences, by applying high medical-surgical rigour along with a very high level of superspecialisation and experience. We ensure the best results, both from our perspective as well as that of the patient and their family, for whom we work.
For 20 years, the SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital has received the TOP 20 award annually as one of the four best regional and national reference centres for its high quality, function, and efficiency indicators. In this setting, our department follows the same guidelines as the Hospital.
We have highly specialised units to offer comprehensive and excellent care to our patients. We have 5 organisational units.
Highly specialised organisational units
We have highly specialised units to offer comprehensive and excellent care to our patients. We have 5 organisational units.
- Upper limb: Lesions of the brachial plexus, peripheral nerve, congenital conditions, and arthrogryposis, among others, in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, arm, forearm, and hand.
- Lower limb: We apply state-of-the-art surgical techniques for managing axial deformities and dysmetrias in the lower limbs. We also have extensive experience in treating conditions of the foot, knee, and hip.
- Tumours, infections, and dysplasias: We have a multidisciplinary team with experts in osteoarticular infections and tumours, dysplasias, metabolic bone diseases, megaprosthesis implants for tumours and surgery for osteogenesis imperfecta.
- Spine: We have extensive experience in spine care. We treat all kinds of conditions, such as scoliosis, spondyliolysis, vertebral malformations, tumours, and vertebral injuries, among others.
- Traumatology and Emergency Care: Experts in fractures and emergency paediatric injuries. We have extensive experience in treating paediatric patients with multiple trauma and in performing surgery for injuries to the growing locomotor system.
Annual surgical activity
Scoliosis patients treated per year
Obstetric brachial palsy interventions
Tumours cases
Skeletal dysplasias cases
Neuromuscular conditions interventions
Congenital conditions cases
2019 data
Specialities and services
Pathologies we treat
Treatments we offer
Our professionals
“We seek “a la carte” solutions adapted to growing children, to treat them in the most effective and least invasive way possible”.







Research
Projects
- ACHieve: A multi-center, longitudinal, observational study of children with achondroplasia (2019 - on-going).
- AccomplisH: A Phase 2, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, dose escalation trial evaluating safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of subcutaneous doses of TransCon CNP administered once weekly for 12 months in prepubertal children with achondroplasia (“Study”) (2019 - on-going).
- BIOMARIN 111-302. SUBINVESTIGATOR. A Phase 3, Open-Label Long Term Extension Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of BMN 111 in Children with Achondroplasia (2019 - on-going).
- BIOMARIN 111-301. SUBINVESTIGATOR. Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of BMN 111 in Children with Achondroplasia (2018 - on-going).
- BIOMARIN 111-901. SUBINVESTIGATOR. A Multicenter, Multinational, Clinical Assessment Study for Pediatric Patients with Achondroplasia (2017 - on-going).
- Effect of medication in the Treatment of Giant Cell Tumours (2019 - on-going).
- Stratification of patients with 'severe' vascular malformations into risk groups: indicators of severity and progression according to phenotype/genotype/quality of life/PROs (2019 - on-going).
- “Lost in time” study: Updating the content and clinical accessibility of the Prosthetic Upper Limb Functional Index (2019 - 2020).
- Populational study of traumatic lesions associated with the use of electric scooters (2019 - 2020).
- Functional and aesthetic predictive factors of preaxial polydactyly (2016 - on-going).
- Predictive factors of epicondyle fractures (2019 - 2020).
- RECREGUI project: multicentre study on guided growth (2018 - on-going).
- RIOPed project: prospective, multicentre study of osteoarticular infection in Paediatrics. Spanish Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases SEIP, Spanish Society of Paediatric Rheumatology SERPE, Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology SEIMC, Spanish Society of Rheumatology, SECOT, and SEOP (2015 - on-going).
- Validated Spanish translation of the Reach Out Paediatric Functionality Scale (2018 - 2020).
- Vascularisation of the sciatic nerve. Anatomical cadaver study. University of Barcelona (2019 - 2021).
- Health Research Fund (FIS) Grant RECREGUI. Guided knee growth. PI Dr César G. Fontecha.
- FIS Grant Randomised clinical trial to compare the effectiveness and compliance of the night-time and day-time corset for the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis in adolescents.PI Dr Alejandro Peiró.
- FIS Grant Stratification of patients with 'severe' vascular malformations into risk groups: indicators of severity and progression according to phenotype/genotype/quality of life/PROs. PI Dr Eulàlia Baselga. CI Dr Laura M. Pérez-López.
Participation in international study groups
- Member of the Spanish Sarcoma Research Group (GEIS). Spanish representative in the EUROWING PROJECT.
- Children’s Spine Foundation Study Group. PSSG Registry.
- EPOS Infection Study Group 2020.
- EPOS Tumor Study Group 2020.
- Children’s Spine Foundation Study Group 2020.
- Scientific Committee Lead Advisor. MPS-Lysosomals Association.
- Pompeu Fabra University. Barcelona Centre for New Medical Technologies (BCN Med Tech). Computer simulation project with finite elements of physeal growth.
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2). Project to develop regenerative medicine implants for cartilage lesions.
- Vall d’Hebron Research Institute. Scientific collaboration on experimental surgery projects with large animals.
- Alberta Children’s Hospital (Canada). Collaborative project on spinal surgery.
- AOFoundation (European Society of Osteosynthesis). Upper limb fractures registry.
- Bloorview Research Institute, Bloorview Children's Hospital Foundation Chair in Paediatric Rehabilitation.
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto. PUFI-2 pediatric upper limb functional scale development. Aplasia functionality scale.
- Birmingham Children’s Hospital. NHS Foundation Trust. Reach Out pediatric upper limb functional scale development.
Scientific publications
- A meta-analysis of bone morphogenetic protein-2 versus iliac crest bone graft for the posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine.
- Elbow flexion reconstruction with nerve transfer or grafting in patients with brachial plexus injuries: A systematic review and comparison study.
- ¿Están los Niños Seguros en los Castillos Hinchables? [Are Children Safe in Inflatable Castles?]-
- Evaluation by ultrasound of the hips of babies carried in baby carriers.
- Evaluación del impacto del Documento de Consenso Español sobre el abordaje de las Infecciones Osteoarticulares a través de la Red de Infecciones Osteoarticulares Pediátricas (RIOPed) [Evaluation of the impact of the Spanish Consensus Document about the Osteoarticular Infections approach via the Paediatric Osteoarticular Infections Network (RIOPed)].
- Fracture of the radial neck following elbow subluxation in children, Jeffery type II lesion. A new concept of fixation.
- Frequency and characteristics of congenital intraspinal abnormalities in a cohort of 128 patients with congenital scoliosis.
- Fibroqueratoma periungueal adquirido en la edad pediátrica, a propósito de un caso [Periungual fibrokeratoma in children, a case report].
- Knee Arthritis in Children: When Can It Be Safely Treated With Needle Joint Aspiration? A Large Children's Tertiary Hospital Study.
- May we Further Reduce Dose in the Assessment of Full Spine Radiography in Children?
- Osteoarticular infections: Blood as a determinant factor in the isolation of Kingella kingae.
- Osteopoikilosis with Germline LEMD3 mutation mimicking bone metastases in a girl with a concurrent secreting mixed germ cell tumor (the "Work").
- Pedicle screw instrumentation in scoliosis surgery: on site simulation data on accuracy and efficiency with different techniques.
- Quality, Safety, and Value of Innovating Classic Operatives Techniques in Scoliosis Surgery: Intraoperative Traction and Navigated Sequential Drilling.
- Sagittal Balance in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Managed With Intraoperative Skull Femoral Traction.
- Staged instrumentation with magnetically controlled growing rods in early-onset scoliosis: indications and preliminary outcomes.
- Surgical technique and outcomes for bilateral humeral lengthening for achondroplasia: 26-year experience.
- MRI of Rhabdomyosarcoma and Other Soft-Tissue Sarcomas in children.
- Septic Arthritis due to Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup W in Toddlers.
- Neisseira meningitidis Serogroup W causing primary meningococcal septic arthritis in a toddler and review of the literature. Journal of Medical Clinical Case Reports. 2020.
- La tuberculosis osteoarticular en la edad pediàtrica [Osteoarticular tuberculosis in the paediatric age group]. Rev Esp Cir Ortop Traumatol. 2020.
- El niño maltratado [The abused child]. Melisa Stitzman, Ortopedia y Traumatología Infantil para Residentes [Paediatric Orthopaedics and Traumatology for Residents]. SEOP (book chapter).
- Errores en Ortopedia Pediátrica. Cómo realizar una adecuada exploración ortopédica [Errors in Paediatric Orthopaedics. How to perform an adequate orthopaedic examination]. César Galo García Fontecha, Luis González Trapote (book chapter).
- Malformaciones congénitas [Congenital malformations]. Laura M. Pérez López, Marisa Cabrera González, Diego Gutiérrez de la Iglesia, Ortopedia y Traumatología Infantil para Residentes [Paediatric Orthopaedics and Traumatology for Residents]. SEOP (book chapter).
- Tumores Óseos Malignos en la Infancia y la Adolescencia [Malignant Bone Tumours in Childhood and Adolescence]. Ferran Torner Rubies.
Theses
Defended
Estudio Clínico de la Polidactilia Preaxial. Factores pronóstico del resultado quirúrgico [Clinical Study of Preaxial Polydactyly. Prognostic factors for surgical outcome].
- Doctoral candidate: Laura M. Pérez López
- Directors: Prof. Manel Llusá
- University: Universitat de Barcelona
- Rating: Excellent Cum Laude. International mention.
In progress
Estudio comparativo de la marcha postoperatoria en artroplastia total de cadera. Abordaje anterior directo vs. Abordaje posterolateral [Comparative study of postoperative gait in total hip replacement. Direct anterior approach vs. posterolateral approach].
- Doctoral candidate: Jorge Núñez Camarena
- Directors: Dr C. García Fontecha, Dr A. Hernández
- University: Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
- Ethics committee: PR(ATR)120/2015
Estudio y evaluación de las fracturas y refracturas de antebrazo en edad pediatrica, elaboración de protocolo para la prevención de las refracturas [Study and evaluation of fractures and repeat fractures of the forearm in the paediatric age group, creation of a protocol to prevent repeat fractures]
- Doctoral candidate: Melisa Stitzman Wengrowicz
Aplicación de nuevas tecnologías al método Ponseti [Application of new technologies to the Ponseti method]
- Doctoral candidate: Laia Giménez Canales
Directed
Estudi prospectiu multicèntric de creixement guiat de les extremitats inferiors en nens. Influència de variables independents en el resultat final [Prospective multicentre study of guided growth of the lower limbs in children. Influence of independent variables on the final outcome].
- Doctoral candidate: Maria Jurado Ruiz
- Directors: Dr César García Fontecha, Dr Màrius Aguirre Canyadell
- University: Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
- Reference: MBA-Institute
Penetració òssia dels antibiòtics en la infecció òssia en l'esquelet inmadur. Estudi farmacocinètic en model animal [Bone penetration of antibiotics in bone infections in the immature skeleton. Pharmacokinetic study in an animal model].
- Doctoral candidate: Porcel Vázquez, Juan Antonio
- Directors: Dr César Galo García Fontecha, Dr Pere Soler Palacín
- University: Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
- Reference: SCCOT-2013-01, FIS 2013-2015
Teaching
In the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department of the SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital, we accept professionals from around the world for specialisation in specific fields of Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology.
Each year, we offer an international course in Paediatric Orthopaedics and Traumatology, accredited by the Sistema Nacional de Formación [National Training System] and backed the following scientific societies: SEOP, SECOT, EPOS.
We also collaborate in providing university training:
- Master's in translational biomedical research 2019-2020. Cell Therapy for foetal repair. Autonomous University of Barcelona.
- Fellowship in Hand Surgery, University of Barcelona. Accreditation from the Federation of the European Societies for Surgery of the Hand (FESSH).
- Master's in Surgery of the Hand and Upper Limb. Reference 3741/3. Autonomous University of Barcelona.
- International University of Catalonia. International University of Catalonia.
- School of Physiotherapy. Gimbernat University School.
- Department of Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialties, University of Barcelona.
- Course coordination: The growing locomotor system. School of Medicine, University of Barcelona.
- Course: Orthopaedics and Rheumatology. Campus Clinic, Campus Bellvitge. 5th Year of Medicine. University of Barcelona.
- Master's Refresher in Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology. CEU/Cardenal Herrera University.
- Fellowship in Hand Surgery, University of Barcelona.
- Federation of the European Societies for Surgery of the Hand (FESSH). University of Barcelona.
- Course "Arthroscopic Surgery". Course Essential Basics of the Knee.
- Training Plan in Hand Surgery from the Spanish Society of Hand Surgery SECMA. SECMA accreditation. FESSH. 2020.
- SECOT course on Paediatric Orthopaedics SECOT.
- Online Master's in Paediatric Orthopaedics. Hospital Niño Jesús. Teaching certificate, Cardenal Herrera Oria and TECH.
- SpineArt Academy- International deformity Course.
- New perspectives on the treatment of the complex spine. MBA Institute.
- PRI meeting. Globus Medical.
- IV Training Day in Paediatric Spine Conditions.