John Flynn, MD, is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and chief of the division of orthopedics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Dr. Flynn specializes in pediatric scoliosis care. He is one of a few surgeons in the U.S. focusing on spine disorders in very young children, and in 2004 he helped found CHOP's Center for Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome, the nation's first multidisciplinary program to treat children with thoracic insufficiency syndrome and early-onset scoliosis.
His research centers on improving pediatric and adolescent spine surgery safety. He pioneered the use of image-guided navigation for pediatric spinal deformity correction, which improves implant placement safety, and the use of magnetic lengthening growing rods, removing the need for planned repetitive surgery in some patients.
Dr. Flynn also focuses on nonoperative pediatric spine deformity care and led CHOP's effort in the NIH BrAIST trial, which demonstrated the efficacy of back bracing as a treatment for scoliosis. He has served as a visiting professor at more than 60 academic centers around the world, has published more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific articles and serves as a director of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Dr. Flynn received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He underwent pediatric orthopedic fellowship training at Wilmington, Del.-based A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children. In his spare time, Dr. Flynn enjoys outdoor sports, especially rowing and biking.
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