Team Week 2024

Welcome to Team Week 2024. Look forward to a week of interviews with different members of the Hip Dysplasia Team!

For our last interview Junior Board member Bronagh Walsh interviews physiotherapist Holly Doyle.
Holly is a Consultant Physiotherapist at Addenbrookes for the Young Adult Hip Team and owner of Integrum Physiotherapy in North London.
Holly shares information about how she approaches caring for patients with hip dysplasia both conservatively (without surgery) and as part of pre and post-operative rehabilitation programs for patients who have surgery. She discusses some specific rehabilitation programs she uses with patients after PAO surgery and general recovery timelines. Holly discusses limitations in hip dysplasia rehabilitation research and describes some of the areas of research she hopes will develop. When enjoying this interview, please keep in mind that the post-op PAO rehab protocol and timelines shared in this interview may not be the same as your surgeon’s. Please make sure to follow your surgeon’s post-op weight-bearing and rehab guidelines and timelines.
Lucie is a consultant physiotherapist at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham in the Young Adult Hip Clinic. Click on the picture above to read the interview!

For our patient and family interview, Board Member Ashley Spalla interviews Michelle and Kylie
Kylie’s hip journey started when she was 5 months old with her PT asking us if she had been evaluated for hip dysplasia. She had three surgeries before she turned 2, three between the ages of 14-17, and then five more between 18-21. She currently has at least one more scheduled at this time. Hip dysplasia has been a challenge and dictates a lot for us but mostly for her.
For our next interview Miles4Hips board member Lauren Schoeller interviews Kaitlyn Williams, who is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist.
Kaitlyn Williams, MSOTR/L, is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist in Monterey, California. She became a patient herself in 2017 after experiencing hip pain, resulting in three hip arthroscopies. After continued pain, she received a diagnosis of Miserable Malalignment Syndrome in 2021. Kaitlyn had a femoral and tibial osteotomy on her right leg and is awaiting surgery on her left leg. She has utilized knowledge as an occupational therapist during her recoveries to address safety, adapting her everyday activities, and not losing sight of her goals. Kaitlyn also discusses the value of patient independence, engaging in meaningful activities throughout recoveries, and physical and emotional alignment.
For our next interview Board Member Ashley Spalla interviews Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon Wudbhav Sankar MD
Wudbhav (Woody) N. Sankar is a nationally recognized leader in pediatric orthopaedic surgery. He serves as Director of the Young Adult Hip Preservation Program and heads up the Hip Disorders Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
He is the Associate Director of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI) and a member of several other multi-center research groups, including the International Perthes Study Group (IPSG) and the Academic Network of Conservational Hip Outcomes Research (ANCHOR). He also serves on the board of directors for the Legg-Calvé-Perthes Foundation. His active areas of research include public health improvements in hip dysplasia, novel ultrasound techniques for infantile DDH, the optimal management of slipped epiphysis, and hip instability in trisomy 21.
For our next interview Miles4Hips board member Nancy Muir interviews Chelsea who is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner:
“I have been in the field of pediatrics for my entire career- first as a pediatric nurse, and now as a pediatric NP! I am a hip dysplasia patient as well so it has been interesting being on the other side of the exam room. I’m a big fan of Ohio State, all things Disney, and running! In my free time, I like to practice calligraphy or binge-watch reality TV. I plan on learning how to crochet post-operatively after my PAO!”
For our next interview Board Member Lauren Schoeller interviews Katie McGinnis, who is a Certified Child Life Specialist.
Katie McGinnis, MPH, CCLS has been a Certified Child Life Specialist for 15 years. She spent 6 years working in children’s hospitals in the US before obtaining her MPH degree in Global Health and transitioning to full-time international child life work in 2015. Katie currently works as the Director of Psychosocial Services for Family Legacy Missions International, a large non-profit that provides holistic care for 13,000 vulnerable children in Zambia. She is passionate about child life, supporting children and families going through difficult healthcare experiences, and expanding psychosocial services for pediatric patients across the globe. Katie was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia as an adult in 2019, and underwent bilateral Periacetabular Osteotomies (PAOs) and hardware removal surgeries in 2020 and 2021.
Starting off team week Junior Board Member Eve Harrison interviews Physiotherapist Nathalie Belanger.
Nathalie Belanger completed a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa and is a graduate of the Physiotherapy program at the University of Toronto. She has worked at the sports medicine clinic at Carleton University for 26 years.