Christine Quatro, D.O. – Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery

Varsity Orthopedics

Dr. Christine Quatro
501 West Harwood Road
Hurst, Texas 76054
817.268.2758

 

Varsity Orthopedics Physical Therapy Southlake


190 S. Peytonville Avenue Suite 100


Southlake, TX 76092-6937

 

VarsityOrthopedics.com

 

Dr. Christine Quatro is a board-certified, fellowship-trained pediatric orthopedic surgeon, specializing in pediatric orthopedics. Dr. Quatro completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopedic surgery at Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, one of the largest regional sports medicine centers in the Central Midwest. A fellowship is the highest level of training available to a specialized physician in the U.S.  
    Dr. Quatro graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in biology. She earned a degree in osteopathic medicine from the University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, Missouri. She then completed a five-year, post-graduate residency program in orthopedic surgery, with electives at Denver Children’s Hospital.
    Dr. Quatro founded Varsity Orthopedics as a specialty practice geared specifically to the needs of kids and teens who experience orthopedic injury. Varsity Orthopedics focuses especially on the needs of the teen athlete, boys and girls who are playing high school sports or cheer.

 

About Varsity Orthopedics

 

Varsity Orthopedics is a physician practice based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area that specializes in pediatric orthopedics and the specific needs of children. Varsity Orthopedics focuses on kids, teenagers and young adults who have suffered sports-related injuries, fractures and growth-related bone disorders.

 

How Varsity Orthopedics is different

 

Pediatric orthopedic surgeons specialize in treating kids and teenagers. It is important to understand that kids and teenagers are not just small adults. Therefore, treating illness and injury in children requires a different approach, because their bones and joints are younger and not fully developed. Another key factor that demands unique care of children is their tendency to feel overwhelmed and afraid in the medical world.

Recognizing the specific needs of children, Varsity Orthopedics creates a comfortable environment for them that is not intimidating. Our special training and experience in pediatric orthopedics creates the best medical care available for kids.

Another reason a pediatric orthopedic surgeon is preferred relates to the fears of a child or teen. How well the doctor relates to a child or teen will contribute to a successful treatment and rehabilitation, as well as creating a positive image of the medical world. While an adult may be able to cope with the unknown factors following an injury, a fracture or sports injury may be an overwhelming catharsis for the child or young teen. The ability of a physician to establish a rapport with the child is essential to easing the fears of the child or teen. The injury may be traumatic physically, but there is no reason why the treatment and recovery needs to be psychologically traumatic as well.

Furthermore, orthopedic clinics geared towards adults can be intimidating or even frightening to a child. Adult-oriented clinics are often specialized in the problems of adult injury and bone disorders, such as arthritic joints and hips, and problems associated with “older” rather than “younger” bones and joints. The rehab areas in an adult orthopedic clinic often have older people recovering from hip or knee implants or those suffering from arthritic joints — an older person’s problem, not a young person’s problem. This only serves to make a child or teen feel out of their element. The therapists may also be at a loss with how to deal with the child or teen recovering from a sports injury. There is a better way… an approach geared toward the child or growing teen.

The staff at Varsity Orthopedics has years of experience in treating orthopedic disorders and injuries, and its physicians are fellowship-trained in pediatric sports medicine. Fellowship training is the highest level of training available in the United States for an orthopedic surgeon.

 

Why a pediatric orthopedic surgeon is crucial for growth plate injuries

 

Growth plates are unique to children. A growth plate is soft tissue that grows on the end of long bones that is eventually replaced with solid bone. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Muscles and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a growth plate resembles a gap between the long bone, called the metaphysics, and its head, called the epiphysis. During adolescence, these plates are replaced by bone. Girls’ skeletons mature earlier than boys, therefore older boys are more likely to have a growth-plate injury than older girls. Growth plates are the weakest areas in a child’s skeleton and are the most susceptible to injury. If not corrected, a growth-plate injury can stunt the growth of a bone, creating a situation in which one leg or arm is longer than the other.

Because they are weak, growth plates can fracture. Ligaments surrounding a child’s joint are not yet strong and may not be able to fully stabilize a joint. A blow, such as twisting an ankle or knee, can cause an injury to the growth plate. The overuse of a joint may cause injury too. For example, a baseball pitcher can damage his growth plate at the end of his arm due to repetitive use. The NIAMS lists the most common growth-plate injuries as those to fingers, the outer bone of the forearm, the wrist and the lower leg bones.

 

Want to know more about pediatric orthopedics?

For more information, click to http://www.VarsityOrthopedics.com for extensive information about knee, shoulder, arm, hand, elbow, and foot injury related to kids and teens.

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