Roger F. Widmann, MD
Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Spine Surgery
About Dr. Widmann
Dr. Roger Widmann is Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and has served as Chief of the Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Service at HSS since 2004. Dr. Widmann specializes in the surgical and nonsurgical treatment of pediatric spinal deformity and pediatric limb deformity. Dr. Widmann is an expert pediatric spinal deformity surgeon and pediatric limb deformity surgeon with established clinical and research expertise, and has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and multiple book chapters. Dr. Widmann is focused on providing state-of-the-art surgical and nonsurgical management for pediatric patients with complex deformities.
Dr. Widmann graduated summa cum laude from Yale University and received the Donjoy Prize for Orthopaedic Research upon graduating from the Yale School of Medicine. His orthopedic residency training was at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program based at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and he completed his Pediatric Orthopaedic Fellowship training at the Children's Hospital of Boston under the exceptional team of John Hall, John Emans and James Kasser.
Dr. Widmann is a member of the Scoliosis Research Society, the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and the Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society, and he has served on numerous national committees. As Chief of the Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Service at HSS, Dr. Widmann has led a collaborative effort to build and staff the Lerner Children's Pavilion with highly regarded and nationally renowned pediatric orthopedic surgeons and pediatricians. With a focus on clinical and surgical excellence, academic productivity, and care for the underserved, the Lerner Children's Pavilion is the largest volume provider of pediatric orthopedic and pediatric spine surgery in the tristate area. Dr. Widmann is proud to serve as the Leon Root Chair in Pediatric Orthopaedics at HSS and to support the ongoing critical missions of pediatric orthopedic clinical care, research, and education.
Profile Video
Departments
Specialized Centers
Computer Assisted Surgery Center
Children and Adolescent Hand and Arm (CHArm) Center
Special Expertise
Pediatric spinal deformity surgery
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
Congenital scoliosis
Neuromuscular scoliosis
Early onset scoliosis
growing magnetic rods for scoliosis
Scheuermann's kyphosis
Limb lengthening and limb deformity surgery
Ilizarov surgery
Magnetic intramedullary nail limb lengthening
Guided growth
Procedures
Scoliosis surgery
Kyphosis surgery
MAGEC growing rod surgery
Spinal fusion and instrumentation
Boston, Providence and Rigo brace for scoliosis
Precice magnetic limb lengthening
Ilizarov lengthening
Guided growth surgery
Epiphysiodesis
Patient Stories
Videos
Insurance
Please call our office if you have questions regarding your insurance coverage. If you have out-of-network benefits, then your insurance may reimburse you for a portion of your office visit. We will work with you and your insurance to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. Financial assistance may be available for patients in need.
Credentials
Appointments
Chief, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery
Attending Orthopedic Surgeon, Hospital for Special Surgery
Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College
Attending Orthopedic Surgeon, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Affiliations
Scoliosis Research Society
Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society
Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
The American Orthopaedic Association
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Medical Association
Certification
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Awards
Castle Connolly America's Top Doctors, 2016-2020
Castle Connolly Top Doctors in New York Metro Area, 2005-2022
New York Magazine Top Doctors, 2014-2018, 2021, 2022
US Patent #: 8782832, System, method and apparatus for spine patient positioning table, 2014
Excellence in Research Award, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons for: Development and Validation of a Pediatric Sports Activity Rating Scale, 2013
Best Clinical Paper, Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society for: Correlation of MRI and histological examination of physeal bars in a rabbit model, 2010
Philip D. Wilson Teaching Award, Hospital for Special Surgery Chief Residents, 2008
US Patent #: 7206638, Electrical current induced inhibition of bone growth: radiofrequency ablation epiphysiodesis, 2007
Traveling Fellowship to Japan, American Orthopaedic Association and Japanese Orthopaedic Association, 2002
Kilfoyle Award, New England Orthopaedic Society Resident Research Award for: Complications of closed treatment of distal radius fractures in children, 1994
Donjoy Prize in Orthopaedic Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, Research Thesis Award for: Effects of pre-fracture irradiation on the biomechanical parameters of fracture healing, 1989
Louis A. Goldstein Award, Scoliosis Research Society, Best Clinical Poster for: Clinical value of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, 1999
Sigma Xi, Yale University, 1985
Phi Beta Kappa, Yale University, 1985
Summa Cum Laude, Yale University, 1985
Education
Medical: Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Surgery Program, Massachusetts
Fellowship: Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston, Massachusetts
State Licensure
Languages
English
For My Patients
Videos
Videos
Video Guide to Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery
Spine Care Institute at Hospital for Special Surgery
Forms
- Patient Registration (PDF)
- SRS-22 Patient Survey (PDF)
Spine Animations
Additional Spine Animations
Publications by Dr. Widmann
Patient Education
- Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis in the Pediatric Patient
- Revolutionary Surgery Enables Active 12-Year-Old to Step On Up
- Pediatric Limb Lengthening: Corrective Surgery for Leg Length Discrepancy in Children
- Femur Fractures in Children: Treating a Child’s Broken Thighbone
- Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) in Infants and Children: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments
- Neuromuscular Scoliosis: Complex Spinal Curves Caused by Muscular and Neurological Conditions
- Scoliosis in Children and Teenagers: An Overview
- Broken Elbows in Children: An Overview of Elbow Fractures
- Orthopedic Complications of Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Scoliosis, Tibial Dysplasia and Other Issues
- Motion Analysis Lab: The Science of Movement
- Limb (Leg) Deformity Reconstruction for the Pediatric Patient
- Tibial Pseudarthrosis: Incorrect Healing After a Pediatric Fracture of the Lower Leg
- Kyphosis in the Pediatric Patient
Professional Education
Blog Posts
Selected Books/Chapters
Lamont, L.E., Garner, M.R. and Widmann, R.F., Salter-Harris Distal Femur and Proximal Tibia Fractures in Pediatric and Adolescent Knee Surgery. Cordasco, F.A. and Green, D.W. Editors, 2015. Wolters Kluwer.
Dodwell, E.R, and Widmann, R.F., Percutaneous Distal Femur or Proximal Tibial Epiphysiodesis for Leg Length Discrepancy, in Operative Techniques in Orthopaedic Surgery, Second Edition, Flynn, J.M. and Sankar, W.N. Editors, 2015, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: Philadelphia.
Spencer, S. and Widmann, R.F., eds. Limb Length Discrepancy and Limb Lengthening. 4th ed. Orthopaedic Knowledge Update: Pediatrics. 2011, American Academy of Orthopaedicc Surgeons: Rosemont, IL.
Widmann, R.F., Gholve, P.A., and Blyakher, A., Limb Lengthening Using the Ilizarov Method or a Monoplanar Fixator, in Operative Techniques in Orthopaedic Surgery, J.M. Flynn, Editor. 2011, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: Philadelphia. p. 1258-1269.
Widmann, R.F. and Beaty, J.H., Fractures of the Pelvis, in Fractures in Children, J.H. Beaty and J.R. Kasser, Editors. 2005, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: New York.
Kuo, C.E. and Widmann, R.F., Reduction and percutaneous pin fixation of displaced supracondylar elbow fractures in children. Techniques in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 2004. 5(2): p. 90-102.
Widmann, R.F. and Micheli, L.J., Lower extremity sports injuries in children, in Sports medicine of the lower extremity, S.I. Subotnick, Editor. 1999, Churchill Livingstone: New York. p. 21-37.
8Schneider, R., Widmann, R.F., and Hayne, S., Femoral Anteversion and Tibial Torsion, in Radiology: Diagnosis-Imaging-Intervention, J.M. Taveras and A.T. Ferrucci, Editors. 1997, Lippincott-Raven: New York. p. 1-11.
Selected Journal Articles
Warner SJ, Uppstrom TJ, Miller AO, O'Brien ST, Salvatore CM, Widmann RF, et al. The Epidemiology of Deep Surgical Site Infections after Pediatric Spinal Fusion Surgery. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2016 Jun 14.
Fabricant PD, Robles A, Downey-Zayas T, Do HT, Marx RG, Widmann RF, et al. Development and validation of a pediatric sports activity rating scale: the Hospital for Special Surgery Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale (HSS Pedi-FABS). Am J Sports Med 2013 Oct;41(10):2421-9.
Fabricant PD, Admoni S, Green DW, Ipp LS, Widmann RF. Return to athletic activity after posterior spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: analysis of independent predictors. J Pediatr Orthop 2012 Apr-May;32(3):259-65.
Green DW, Lawhorne TW,3rd, Widmann RF, Kepler CK, Ahern C, Mintz DN, et al. Long-term magnetic resonance imaging follow-up demonstrates minimal transitional level lumbar disc degeneration after posterior spine fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2011 Nov 1;36(23):1948-54.
Ipp L, Flynn P, Blanco J, Green D, Boachie-Adjei O, Kozich J, Widmann R, et al. The findings of preoperative cardiac screening studies in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. J Pediatr Orthop 2011 Oct-Nov;31(7):764-6.
Widmann RF, Amaral TD, Yildiz C, Yang X, Bostrom M. Percutaneous radiofrequency epiphysiodesis in a rabbit model: a pilot study. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2010 Jul;468(7):1943-8.
Bomback DA, Charles G, Widmann R, Boachie-Adjei O. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery compared with thoracotomy: early and late follow-up of radiographical and functional outcome. Spine J 2007 Jul-Aug;7(4):399-405.
Lim M, Green DW, Billinghurst JE, Huang RC, Rawlins BA, Widmann RF, et al. Scheuermann kyphosis: safe and effective surgical treatment using multisegmental instrumentation. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2004 Aug 15;29(16):1789-94.
Do T, Fras C, Burke S, Widmann RF, Rawlins B, Boachie-Adjei O. Clinical value of routine preoperative magnetic resonance imaging in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. A prospective study of three hundred and twenty-seven patients. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2001 Apr;83-A(4):577-9.
Widmann RF, Bitan FD, Laplaza FJ, Burke SW, DiMaio MF, Schneider R. Spinal deformity, pulmonary compromise, and quality of life in osteogenesis imperfecta. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 1999 Aug 15;24(16):1673-8.
For more publications, please see the PubMed listing.
Professional Education on HSS eAcademy
Research
Current research includes:
- pediatric spinal deformity outcomes and safety
- adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery and return to athletics
- adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and MRI indications
- minimally invasive growth modulation
- randomized control trial of surgical epiphysiodesis techniques
Clinical Trials
Industry Relationships
Industry Relationships
One of the goals of HSS is to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and related disciplines for the benefit of patients. Physicians at HSS may collaborate with outside companies for education, research and medical advances. HSS supports this collaboration in order to foster medical breakthroughs; however HSS also believes that these collaborations must be disclosed.
As part of the disclosure process, this website lists physician collaborations with outside companies. The disclosures are provided by information provided by the physician and other sources and are updated regularly. Further information may be available on individual company websites.
Below are the healthcare industry relationships reported by Dr. Widmann as of February 16, 2023.
- Elsevier, Inc. - Editorial Board member
- OrthoPediatrics - Royalties
- Spine Deformity Journal Editorial Board - Editorial Board Member
- SpineGuard, Inc. - Consultant; Royalties
- Springer - Editorial Board member
By disclosing the collaborations of HSS physicians with industry on this website, HSS and its physicians make this information available to their patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest Policy does not permit physicians to collect royalties on products developed by him/her that are used on patients at HSS.
Patients should feel free to ask their HSS physicians questions about these relationships.