Pectus excavatum
Disease Information
Research & Innovation
The Department of Surgery
Pectus excavatum can almost always be effectively treated with surgery. Robert Shamberger, MD, chief of the Department of Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, studied how surgical repair of pectus excavatum improves self-image; read more about the study here.
The Orthopedic Center
Approximately 15 percent of children who have an excavatum also develop scoliosis (curvature of the spine). And for more than a century, orthopedic surgeons and investigators at Boston Children’s have played a vital role in the field of musculoskeletal research, pioneering treatment approaches and major advances in the care and treatment of conditions such as scoliosis. Our pioneering research helps answer the most pressing questions in pediatric orthopedics today—providing children with the most innovative care available.
Boston Children's Orthopedic Center takes great pride in our basic science and clinical research leaders, who are recognized throughout the world for their respective achievements. Our orthopedic research team includes:
- Five full-time basic scientists
- 28 clinical investigators
- A team of research coordinators and statisticians
The Clinical Effectiveness Research Center
Boston Children's Clinical Effectiveness Research Center helps coordinate research and clinical trials to improve the quality of life for children with musculoskeletal disorders. This collaborative clinical research program is unique in the nation and plays an instrumental role in establishing—for the first time—evidence-based standards of care for pediatric orthopedic patients throughout the world.
The Spinal Program
Physicians in the Boston Children's Spinal Program are active in several areas of ongoing basic and clinical research based at Boston Children’s and the Harvard Orthopaedics Biomechanics Laboratory. Research topics include:
- Congenital scoliosis and idiopathic scoliosis
- Bone density studies of braced patients
Orthopedic Basic Science Laboratories
Working in our basic science laboratories are some of the leading musculoskeletal researchers in the nation. Orthopedic labs include:
#1 ranked pediatric hospital in the nation. Learn more
Related conditions and treatments:
Q & A with surgeon Jay Wilson, MD
Clinical Services
