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Hip Preservation Program

Nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report

USWNR Orthopedics
Medical personnel examine a hip bone model in the Hip Preservation Program at Children's Mercy..

The orthopedic specialists at Children’s Mercy work together with our physical therapists, radiologists, and pain management team to provide the best possible care for children and teens with hip conditions that require physical therapy, surgery or other treatments.

What is hip preservation?


Hip preservation is a treatment approach that aims to relieve painful symptoms, restore hip function, and allow young people to participate in an active lifestyle alongside their friends. Our therapeutic and surgical interventions can help preserve the life of your child’s own hip and delay or avoid a total hip replacement.

Most families come to our Hip Preservation Program because their child or teen is experiencing hip pain. We have a variety of assessments and imaging studies that help our care team determine the cause of your child’s hip pain. Then, we will develop a treatment plan together that works for each individual patient.

Hip care from pediatric specialists


Children’s Mercy has the only pediatric hip preservation program in the Kansas City area. Three of our board-certified physicians have more than 60 years of combined experience in treating hip conditions in children and teens. For complex cases, a multidisciplinary team meets monthly to discuss and find the best course of treatment for each child.

Nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report

Nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report

  • Comprehensive clinical evaluation of your child’s condition

  • Team-based approach to care, especially for complex cases

  • Physical therapy for sports and non-sports related injuries

  • Surgical treatment including:

    • Surgical hip dislocation

    • Bernese periacetabular osteotomy 

    • Femoral osteotomy 

Surgery for hip prevention

Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) surgery


Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO), also called Bernese or Ganz Osteotomy, is a hip preservation surgery performed to correct a hip problem that a child is born with or that develops over time (developmental deformity of the hip). Learn more about the procedure and recovery.

Learn more about our hip preservation surgery

Conditions

  • Hip dysplasia

  • Femoral acetabular impingement—CAM, pincer and combined

  • Perthes disease

  • Slipped capital femoral epiphysis

  • Sports-related hip disorders (together with Sports Medicine Center)

  • Post-traumatic hip deformity

  • Avascular necrosis and osteonecrosis

  • Skeletal dysplasia

  • Neuromuscular conditions

  • Bladder exstrophy (together with Urology)

  • Other developmental or acquired hip disorders

Patient stories

Kayse's Story

18-year-old Kayse Cooper was an active multi-sport athlete until persistent leg and hip pain sidelined her from her favorite activities. With the help of Caleb Grote, MD she is back on her feet. 

Read Kayse's Story

Ella's Story

Seven-year-old Ella is the kind of kid who never sits still. She loves to dance, swim, play softball and soccer, and goof around with her younger brother, Reed. With the help of the hip care team at Children’s Mercy, Ella’s hip dysplasia doesn’t get in the way of being an on-the-go kid.

Read Ella's Story
ella standing on tree trunk