Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong

Division of Paediatric Orthopaedics

Staff

The division looks after all aspects of paediatric orthopaedics, which has evolved with the times from the establishment of Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital at Sandy Bay in 1968, to the commencement of orthopaedic service at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital half a century later.

The division provides state-of-the-art clinical service and acts as the region’s tertiary/quaternary referral centre across the whole spectrum of paediatric orthopaedic disorders, encompassing common to complex paediatric hip conditions, skeletal dysplasias and congenital disorders, neuromuscular pathologies, limb and spinal deformities, and paediatric sports medicine. Patients are taken care of at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital at Sandy Bay, and Queen Mary Hospital. University staff members of the division are also part of the HKU Health System with provision of clinical service at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital and Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong.

The division has a track record of being a pioneer and innovator, having treated patients referred internationally and trained overseas paediatric orthopaedic surgeons. The division has extensive experience in hip preservation surgery such as modified Dunn’s procedure and periacetabular osteotomy, modified Sofield Millar operation (technique first described by the division), intramedullary limb lengthening, multiplanar deformity reconstruction with hexapod frame, computerised gait analysis in cerebral palsy, guided growth surgery, minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures such as physeal-sparing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery.

A multidisciplinary holistic approach is practised in caring for young individuals with orthopaedics problems. We work closely with paediatric endocrinologists, geneticists, neurologists, radiologists, anaesthesiologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, prosthetist-orthotists, nurses, and plaster artisans. Specialist clinics cover hip, neuromuscular, skeletal dysplasias, leg length discrepancy and limb deformities, fracture, congenital hand, spine, and paediatric sports injuries.

Institutions with clinical service

HKU Health System – Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong (GHK)
Hong Kong Children’s Hospital (HKCH) – Hospital Authority
Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital at Sandy Bay (DKCH) – Hospital Authority
Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) – Hospital Authority
The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKUSZH)

Conditions we treat

Hip conditions

Developmental dysplasia of the hip
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis
Perthes disease
Congenital hip deformities (e.g. coxa vara, proximal focal femoral deficiency, etc.)
Sequelae of hip infection or traumatic injuries

Skeletal dysplasias, metabolic, and rare bone disorders

Osteogenesis imperfecta
Achondroplasia
Syndromes associated with short stature (e.g. multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, pseudoachondroplasia, spondyloepiphyeal dysplasia, etc.)
Multiple hereditary exostosis
Rickets
Other skeletal dysplasias and metabolic bone diseases

Paediatric sports conditions

Anterior cruciate ligament tear
Meniscus injury
Discoid meniscus
Osteochondritis dissecans and osteochondral fractures
Tibial spine fractures
Patella dislocation
Shoulder dislocation
Hip femoroacetabular impingement

Lower limb and foot deformities

Limb length discrepancy
Genu varum or valgum (bowlegs and knock knees)
Pseudarthrosis of the tibia
Fibular hemimelia
Congenital talipes equinovarus (clubfoot)
Foot deformities (e.g. cavovarus foot, vertical talus, tarsal coalition, accessory navicular, polydactyly, syndactyly etc.)
Post traumatic or infection deformities

Upper limb deformities

Congenital hand deformity (e.g. polydactyly, syndactyly)
Radio-ulnar synostosis
Radial head dislocation
Sprengel deformity
Post-traumatic deformity and sequaelae of infection

Neck and spine disorders

Torticollis
Scoliosis

Neuromuscular disorders

Cerebral palsy
Spinal muscular atrophy
Hereditary motor-sensory neuropathy
Hereditary spastic paraplegia
Spina bifida
Neurological disorders with orthopaedic complications including:
- Hip subluxation or dislocation
- Neuromuscular scoliosis
- Gait abnormalities
- Foot deformities

Benign bone tumours and connective tissue diseases

Unicameral and aneurysmal bone cyst
Fibrous dysplasia
McCune Albright syndrome
Ollier’s disease/Maffucci syndrome
Trevor’s disease
Arthrogryposis / pterygium
Marfan’s syndrome and Ehlers Danlos syndrome
Larsen’s syndrome
Other connective tissue disorders

Procedures we perform

Hip surgery

Modified Dunn’s procedure
Surgical hip dislocation
Periacetabular osteotomy, triple osteotomy
Dega osteotomy, Pemberton osteotomy
Salter osteotomy
Chiari osteotomy, Shelf procedure
Osteochondroplasty
Open and closed hip reduction with arthrogram
Surgical neck lengthening and greater trochanter transfer
Proximal femoral osteotomies (varus, valgus, extension, derotation, shortening)
Guided growth

Arthroscopic and sports surgery

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (physeal sparing and transphyseal)
Arthroscopic meniscus repair
Arthroscopic discoid meniscus saucerisation
Patella stabilisation surgery – medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction, tibial tubercle osteotomy
Arthroscopic osteochondral and tibial spine fracture fixation
Lateral extraarticular tenodesis
Shoulder arthroscopy
Ankle arthroscopy

Lower limb and foot surgery

Limb lengthening (intramedullary device, uniplanar fixator) in children and adults
Modified Sofield Millar operation (osteogenesis imperfecta)
Deformity correction (hexapod frame)
Guided growth
Epiphysiodesis
Gait modification surgery for neuromuscular patients – adductor release, hamstring release, gastrocnemius recession, extension osteotomies
Foot reconstruction surgery with tendon transfers and osteotomies
Percutaneous elongation of Achilles tendon
Arthrodesis
Arthroeresis
Ponseti serial casting for clubfoot
Reverse casting for congenital vertical talus

Upper limb and neck surgery

Torticollis release
Woodward procedure
Deformity correction for malunited elbow fractures
Forearm deformity correction and reconstruction surgery for patients with multiple hereditary exostosis
Polydactyly excision

Request a clinical consultation

HKU health system – paedorth@hku.hk / 22553599
Hong Kong Children’s Hospital – cok466@ha.org.hk (referral letter required)
Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital at Sandy Bay – ngmym@ha.org.hk (referral letter required)
The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital – wangxq@hku-szh.org

Research

Division members have received international accolades and grants in recognition of their research work, with publications in Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (both American and British volumes), Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, etc. Despite the relatively small size of the division and heavy clinical load spread out across 5 institutions extending across the border to the greater bay area, we feel that active pursuit of research is of vital importance in maintaining good clinical practice and advancing our understanding of paediatric musculoskeletal problems. Division members serve as principal investigators in multicentre clinical randomised control trials, territory-wide patient registries, and are actively involved in international collaborations such as International OI Surgeons Study Group, Hip Hope Network, and Paediatric Research in Sports Medicine Asia Pacific. List of clinical trials:

A Phase 3, Open-label, Pediatric Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of Romosozumab Compared With Bisphosphonates
A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blinded, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of ALXN1850 Versus Placebo Administered Subcutaneously in Pediatric (2 to < 12 years of age) Participants with Hypophosphatasia Who Have Not Received Previous Treatment with Asfotase Alfa
A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blinded, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of ALXN1850 (Recombinant Alkaline Phosphatase) Administered Subcutaneously in Adolescent ( ≥12 to < 18 years of age) and Adult Participants with Hypophosphatasia Who Have Not Previously Been Treated with Asfotase Alfa
A Phase 2 Multi-center, Randomized, Open-Label, Dose Regimen-Finding Study of AGA2115 in Chinese Adults and Adolescents with Type I, III, or IV Osteogenesis Imperfecta
OPTIMA Trial: Phase 3 global, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial for Garetosmab in Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva patients
Multiplex polymerase chain reaction in diagnosis and treatment of joint infections – a multicentre randomised controlled trial (MJOLNIR)

Research areas

Developmental dysplasia of the hip
Osteogenesis imperfecta and skeletal dysplasias
Spinal muscular atrophy and neuromuscular hip disorders
Paediatric sports and knee disorders
Limb deformities
Clubfoot
Basic science

Selected publications

Dong L, Ho KC, Tan Z, He Y, Zhou Y, Yin S, Feng L, Wong JSH, Tsun To MK. Expanding the Genotype and Phenotype Diversity in a Chinese Cohort With TRPV4-Related Dysplasia. Clin Genet. 2026 Apr;109(4):796-802.
Kuong E. CORR Insights®: Femoral Trochlear Dysplasia Is Common in Lower Limbs With Hartofilakidis C2 Hip Dysplasia. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2025 Dec 1;483(12):2269-2270. doi: 10.1097/CORR.0000000000003617. Epub 2025 Jul 14.
Cheung PWH, Canavese F, Wong JSH, Luk KDK, Cheung JPY. The Use of Proximal Femur Maturity Index in Guiding Brace Weaning for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. JB JS Open Access. 2025 Nov 12;10(4):e25.00191.
Tan Z, Shek HT, Li Z, Xia L, He Y, Chen P, Wong JSH, Gao B, Chan D, To MKT. An inducible mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta type V reveals aberrant osteogenesis caused by Ifitm5 c.-14C>T mutation. J Bone Miner Res. 2025 May 24;40(5):577-590.
Tung JYL, Wong S, See QWS, Chan J, Kuong E. Use of burosumab in two young children with X-linked hypophosphataemic rickets in Hong Kong: two case reports. Hong Kong Med J. 2024 Dec;30(6):506-508.
Wong JSH, Kuong EE, To MKT, Lee ALH, So NLW, Chow W. Prognosticating Residual Dysplasia at Skeletal Maturity Following Closed Reduction for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: A Long-Term Study with an Average 20-Year Follow-up. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2024 Nov 20;106(22):2094-2101.
Kuong E. CORR Insights®: Is Subcapital Realignment for Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis a Reproducible Technique? Midterm Results. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2024 Sep 1;482(9):1639-1641.
Kuong EE, Ip HNH, So NLW, To MKT, Chow W, Wong JSH, Chan SHS. Nusinersen Initiation After Onset of Weakness Does Not Prevent Progression of Hip Instability. J Pediatr Orthop. 2024 Aug 1;44(7):e657-e661.
Tan Z, Chen P, Zhang J, Shek HT, Li Z, Zhou X, Zhou Y, Yin S, Dong L, Feng L, Wong JSH, Gao B, To MKT. Multi-omics analyses reveal aberrant differentiation trajectory with WNT1 loss-of-function in type XV osteogenesis imperfecta. J Bone Miner Res. 2024 Sep 2;39(9):1253-1267.
Cheung PWH, Wong JSH, Luk KDK, Cheung JPY. Using the Proximal Femur Maturity Index at Brace Initiation for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Predicts Curve Progression Risk. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2024 Mar 20;106(6):531-541.
Lau KKL, Kwan KYH, Cheung JPY, Wong JSH, Shea GKH, Law KKP, Cheung KMC. Incidence of back pain from initial presentation to 3 years of follow-up in subjects with untreated adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Spine Deform. 2024 Mar;12(2):357-365.
Wong DLL, Mong PT, Ng CY, Ong CK, Qian Z, Shao MH, Sin LKE, Wong BY, Wong CM, Cheung JPY, To M. Can anterior vertebral body tethering provide superior range of motion outcomes compared to posterior spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis? A systematic review. Eur Spine J. 2023 Sep;32(9):3058-3071.
Tan Z, Shek HT, Chen P, Dong Z, Zhou Y, Yin S, Qiu A, Dong L, Gao B, To MKT. Clinical features and molecular characterization of Chinese patients with FKBP10 variants. Mol Genet Genomic Med. 2023 Apr;11(4):e2122. doi: 10.1002/mgg3.2122. Epub 2023 Jan 19.
Cheung PWH, Canavese F, Chan CYW, Wong JSH, Shigematsu H, Luk KDK, Cheung JPY. The Utility of a Novel Proximal Femur Maturity Index for Staging Skeletal Growth in Patients with Idiopathic Scoliosis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2022 Apr 6;104(7):630-640.
Wong JSH, Kuong EE, So NLW, Ali A, To MKT, Chow W. Quality of Surgery and Patient Selection Are Keys to Success in Hip Stabilization Surgery in Cerebral Palsy. J Pediatr Orthop. 2022 Jan 1;42(1):e72-e77.
Nijhuis W, Franken A, Ayers K, Damas C, Folkestad L, Forlino A, Fraschini P, Hill C, Janus G, Kruse R, Lande Wekre L, Michiels L, Montpetit K, Panzeri L, Porquet-Bordes V, Rauch F, Sakkers R, Salles JP, Semler O, Sun J, To M, Tosi L, Yao Y, Yeung EHK, Zhytnik L, Zillikens MC, Verhoef M. A standard set of outcome measures for the comprehensive assessment of osteogenesis imperfecta. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2021 Mar 20;16(1):140.
So LWN, Kuong EE, To KM, Leong JCY, Chow W. Long-term outcome after Lambrinudi arthrodesis: How they’re doing after three decades. J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong). 2019 Jan-Apr;27(1):2309499019826492.
Yung CS, Kuong EE, Chow W. A previously unreported type of extra-articular triplane fracture: A revised classification system. J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong). 2019 Jan-Apr;27(1):2309499019828500.
Fang C, Cai H, Kuong E, Chui E, Siu YC, Ji T, Drstvenšek I. Surgical applications of three-dimensional printing in the pelvis and acetabulum: from models and tools to implants. Unfallchirurg. 2019 Apr;122(4):278-285.
Kuong EE, Gardner WT, Koljonen PA, Mahapatra SK, Chow W. Normal radiographic parameters in paediatric pelvic radiographs from a Chinese population. J Pediatr Orthop B. 2017 Jul;26(4):336-339.
Yeung KS, Ip JJ, Chow CP, Kuong EY, Tam PK, Chan GC, Chung BH. Somatic PIK3CA mutations in seven patients with PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum. Am J Med Genet A. 2017 Apr;173(4):978-984.
Fong DY, Cheung KM, Wong YW, Cheung WY, Fu IC, Kuong EE, Mak KC, To M, Samartzis D, Luk KD. An alternative to a randomised control design for assessing the efficacy and effectiveness of bracing in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Bone Joint J. 2015 Jul;97-B(7):973-81.
Chow W, Negandhi R, Kuong E, To M. Management pitfalls of fractured neck of femur in osteogenesis imperfecta. J Child Orthop. 2013 Jun;7(3):195-203.
To M, Gupta V, Chow W. Surgical management of long bone pseudarthrosis with severe limb length discrepancy in osteogenesis imperfecta. J Pediatr Orthop B. 2013 Jan;22(1):63-9.
Kuong EE, To M, Yuen MH, Choi AK, Fong CM, Chow W. Pitfalls in diagnosing septic arthritis in Hong Kong children: ten years’ experience. Hong Kong Med J. 2012 Dec;18(6):482-7.
Tong SH, Eid MA, Chow W, To MK. Screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip in Hong Kong. J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong). 2011 Aug;19(2):200-3.
Ip D, Li YH, Chow W, Leong JC. Reconstruction of forearm deformities in multiple cartilaginous exostoses. J Pediatr Orthop B. 2003 Jan;12(1):17-21.
Yau PW, Chow W, Li YH, Leong JC. Twenty-year follow-up of hip problems in arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. J Pediatr Orthop. 2002 May-Jun;22(3):359-63.
Legaspi J, Li YH, Chow W, Leong JC. Talectomy in patients with recurrent deformity in club foot. A long-term follow-up study. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2001 Apr;83(3):384-7.
Fong HC, Lu W, Li YH, Leong JC. Chiari osteotomy and shelf augmentation in the treatment of hip dysplasia. J Pediatr Orthop. 2000 Nov-Dec;20(6):740-4.
Li YH, Chow W, Leong JC. The Sofield-Millar operation in osteogenesis imperfecta. A modified technique. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2000 Jan;82(1):11-6.
Li YH, Hafeez M, Emery RJ, Leong JC. The c/b ratio in the radiological monitoring of the hip joint in congenital dislocation of the hip. J Pediatr Orthop. 1995 Nov-Dec;15(6):806-11.