Children’s Health Dallas-Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center was ranked as the top pediatric orthopedic hospital in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
The rankings, published Sept. 15, evaluated 91 hospitals in pediatric orthopedics based on performance in areas including complex fractures, surgical complications and infection prevention, along with treatment of conditions such as scoliosis and spina bifida and injuries such as fractures and other sports injuries.
Here are the physicians leading the teams at the top 10 hospitals in the rankings for pediatric orthopedics:
1. Children’s Health Dallas-Scottish Rite for Children — Led by Daniel J. Sucato, MD.
Dr. Sucato is chief of staff at Scottish Rite for Children, where he oversees a team focused on treating complex pediatric orthopedic conditions including scoliosis, hip disorders and sports injuries. He has emphasized the hospital’s commitment to clinical care, teaching the next generation of surgeons through its fellowship program, and continuing to advance orthopedic outcomes for children.
2. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — Led by Wudbhav “Woody” N. Sankar, MD.
Dr. Sankar became chief of CHOP’s Orthopedic Center on July 1, 2026, succeeding John M. “Jack” Flynn, MD, who led the division for more than a decade. An internationally recognized leader in pediatric orthopedic surgery, Dr. Sankar’s clinical expertise spans hip disorders, spinal deformity and pediatric trauma. He earned an engineering degree from Cornell University and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, completed his orthopedic surgical training at Penn, and completed pediatric orthopedic fellowships at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Shriners Hospitals for Children before advanced training in adolescent and young adult hip preservation at Boston Children’s Hospital.
3. Boston Children’s Hospital — Led by Martha Murray, MD.
Dr. Murray is orthopedic surgeon-in-chief of the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Department at Boston Children’s Hospital and a professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. She leads a department with dedicated divisions for sports medicine, spine, and orthopedic oncology, among other specialty programs.
4. Nemours Children’s Hospital-Delaware (Wilmington) — Led by Suken A. Shah, MD.
Dr. Shah holds the Shands/MacEwen Endowed Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, and also serves as division chief of the Nemours Spine and Scoliosis Center. A pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Nemours for more than 20 years, he has more than 200 research publications and 30 book chapters to his name, and serves as vice president of the Scoliosis Research Society and president of the Setting Scoliosis Straight Foundation.
5. Texas Children’s Hospital (Houston) — Led by Simon Kelley, MD.
Dr. Kelley was named chief of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at Texas Children’s Hospital and professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in September 2024. He joined from the University of Toronto, where he held multiple leadership roles at The Hospital for Sick Children, and is internationally known for his expertise in pediatric hip diseases and limb lengthening and reconstruction.
6. Rady Children’s Hospital (San Diego) — Led by Peter Newton, MD.
Dr. Newton is chief of the Division of Orthopedics & Scoliosis and surgeon-in-chief at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, as well as a clinical professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine. He specializes in pediatric spinal deformities, with research interests spanning multicenter outcome studies and 3D spinal deformity analysis.
7. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles — Led by Robert M. Kay, MD.
Dr. Kay is division chief of orthopedic surgery and medical director of the Jackie and Gene Autry Orthopedic Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, a program that performs more than 150 hip surgeries and 250 scoliosis procedures annually. He has published more than 140 peer-reviewed articles and 25 book chapters, and has directed CHLA’s internationally renowned motion analysis laboratory since 1997.
8. Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus, Ohio) — Led by Kevin E. Klingele, MD.
Dr. Klingele is chief of orthopedics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where he also serves as surgical director of sports medicine. His clinical interests include adolescent and children’s sports medicine, pediatric trauma, and hip and pelvis reconstruction.
9. Children’s National Hospital (Washington, D.C.) — Led by Matthew Oetgen, MD.
Dr. Oetgen has served as division chief of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at Children’s National Hospital since 2015, overseeing what the hospital describes as the most comprehensive orthopedic program for children in the Washington, D.C., area. He joined the faculty in 2009 after completing a pediatric orthopedic and scoliosis fellowship at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.
10. Cincinnati Children’s — Led by James J. McCarthy, MD.
Dr. McCarthy is director of the Division of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at Cincinnati Children’s, where he specializes in the assessment and treatment of children and young adults with hip issues and limb deformities, with a particular focus on children with cerebral palsy.
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