Pediatric Orthopedic and Spine Surgeon
About Dr. Widmann
Dr. Roger Widmann is Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Chief Emeritus of the Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Service at HSS. 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. He 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
If your insurance is not listed, 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
Attending Orthopedic Surgeon, Hospital for Special Surgery
Chief Emeritus, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, 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 Top Doctor - 15 Years
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
- Scoliosis Bracing: Nonsurgical Treatment for Scoliosis
- Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis in the Pediatric Patient
- Revolutionary Surgery Enables Active 12-Year-Old to Step On Up
- Tibial Pseudarthrosis: Incorrect Healing After a Pediatric Fracture of the Lower Leg
- Kyphosis in the Pediatric Patient
- Scoliosis in Children and Teenagers: An Overview
- Femur Fractures in Children: Treating a Child’s Broken Thighbone
- Orthopedic Complications of Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Scoliosis, Tibial Dysplasia and Other Issues
- Broken Elbows in Children: An Overview of Elbow Fractures
- Neuromuscular Scoliosis: Complex Spinal Curves Caused by Muscular and Neurological Conditions
- Pediatric Limb Lengthening: Corrective Surgery for Leg Length Discrepancy in Children
- Limb (Leg) Deformity Reconstruction for the Pediatric Patient
Professional Education
Selected Journal Articles
For all publications, please see the PubMed listing.
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.
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 / Research Studies
Industry Relationships
Industry Relationships
HSS has a long history of supporting appropriate relationships with industry because they advance HSS's mission to provide the highest quality patient care, improve patient mobility, and enhance the quality of life for all, and to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and their related disciplines through research and education.
Below are the healthcare industry relationships reported by Dr. Widmann as of February 16, 2023.
- Elsevier, Inc. - Editorial Board member
- Spine Deformity Journal Editorial Board - Editorial Board Member
- SpineGuard, Inc. - Consultant; Royalties
- Springer - Editorial Board member
HSS and its physicians make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest and Commitment Policy prohibits physicians from collecting royalties on products they develop that are used on patients at HSS.
Patients should feel free to ask their HSS physicians questions about these relationships.