#8: Innovative Mobile App Helps Parents Understand Hip Problems in Kids with Cerebral Palsy
By Meena Tadimeti, @meenatadimeti 
[powerpress]
One in three children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) is likely to develop some sort of hip problem, according to Dr. Vendant Kulkarni, pediatric orthopedic surgeon with Shriners Hospitals for Children in Sacramento, CA. According to Dr. Kulkarni, children with CP are at a higher risk for developing hip dysplasia (malformation of the hip joint). However, if detected and treated early on using a “Hip Surveillance Program“, a child has a higher likelihood to preserve his/her daily function and avoid pain. In particular, having regular x-ray examinations of the hip is key, he adds. Dr. Kulkarni, along with Dr. John Davids have developed this mobile application which allows parents to learn about hip dysplasia and monitor early signs of hip deterioration in their children with CP. For more in-depth understanding of hip dysplasia, take a listen to our podcast # 4.
Take a listen to this one-on one interview with Dr. Kulkarni . We cover the medical aspects of hip dysplasia, the different types of clinical assessments performed by physicians, surgical treatments available for children and why you may, as a parent to a child with CP will want to evaluate this innovative app designed to help you better understand early signs of hip dysplasia in your child.
Dr. Vedant Kulkarni is an orthopedic surgeon at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Northern California and a clinical assistant professor at UC Davis School of Medicine. He has a special interest in neuromuscular disorders such as cerebral palsy. After graduating from Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Kulkarni trained in orthopedic surgery and clinical research at UC San Diego Medical Center and Rady Children’s Hospital. He subsequently completed an advanced fellowship in pediatric orthpaedics and scoliosis at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, where he gained expertise in cerebral palsy treatment, child and young adult hip preservation, limb deformity treatment, clubfoot and scoliosis.
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