Get to Know Our Staff: Ava Davis, Movement Science Lab

Get to Know Our Staff: Ava Davis, Movement Science Lab

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite?
I am a biomechanist for the Movement Science Lab (MSL) in Frisco. I help with a range of things, like collecting data, analyzing data, processing data and reporting findings. I support the MSL team in writing manuscripts and hosting large team testing events. I am willing to help and learn anything to benefit our team.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
The most fulfilling part of my job is researching such important yet unknown topics. For example, one of our research focuses involves female athletes. It feels great to be able to give these athletes our findings. When I was an athlete, research was not applied to sports as much. It feels rewarding to be able to give current athletes the knowledge I didn’t have. The entire MSL team is making an impact, and I feel lucky to be a part of it.

What makes Scottish Rite a special place to you?
Scottish Rite feels very family oriented. Everybody I have encountered is welcoming and supportive, which can be rare in some fields. Scottish Rite also gave me my first job in the biomechanics research field, which has presented so many opportunities I never would have thought of.

What made you choose a career in health care?
I grew up playing competitive volleyball, and with that, I got injured a lot. I wanted to have a job where I could figure out how these injuries happen and what could be done to reduce injuries in sports. I found out I liked the research side of sports when I went to graduate school.

What is something unique you get to do in your position?
The most unique part of my job is that every day is so different. Some days, we are doing data collections in the lab on multiple patients who have anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Other days, I am working at my desk or out in the field conducting tests on athletes. Our team gets to see both healthy athletes and athletes with injuries, which I think is unique!

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
I enjoy lifting weights and spending time with my fiancé, Logan, alongside our dog and cat!

Do you have any hidden talents?
I memorized a bunch of digits of the number pi in sixth grade for extra credit, and I haven’t forgotten them.

Where are you from, and what brought you to DFW?
I am originally from Greensboro, North Carolina. I attended graduate school at Auburn University in Alabama and worked in their sports biomechanics lab. I found the opportunity to work for Scottish Rite’s MSL department and knew it would align with my goals. I saw Texas for the first time when I moved here for this job!

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would go to Italy. My mom and I have always dreamed of going together, and it would feel rewarding to take her one day and enjoy all the pasta and wine.

If you had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would have a burrito bowl. I make and eat them almost every day already, and I have not gotten tired of it yet!

What movie do you think everyone should watch at least once?
“It’s A Wonderful Life”

What is the first concert you attended?
My first concert was to Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana.

If you were to have a movie based on your life, which actress/actor would you choose to play your character?
Blake Lively

What is some advice you would give your younger self, OR what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
What is meant to be shall not pass me by.

Five Common Questions About Spina Bifida

Five Common Questions About Spina Bifida

We understand that learning your child has spina bifida can lead to many questions. However, families do not have to handle this journey alone.

At Scottish Rite for Children, a large team of doctors and medical experts are ready to treat children with spina bifida. Scottish Rite’s Spina Bifida Clinic offers a team approach that gives families a plan for each stage of their child’s life. Together, our Spina Bifida team will help every child with spina bifida reach their full potential.

1) What is spina bifida?

The term “spina bifida” means “split spine.” Spina bifida is a condition that occurs when a baby’s neural tube does not close or grow correctly while developing. The neural tube is the part that later becomes the brain and spinal cord. Spina bifida develops during the first month of pregnancy, often before the family knows about the pregnancy.

Spina bifida affects the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system). It also affects other body systems that work together, like the bowel, bladder, swallowing, growth and skin. Spina bifida presents differently for each child. With the right care, most children with spina bifida will live bright and full lives.

2) What are the different types of spina bifida?

These are the three most common types of spina bifida:

  • Myelomeningocele (my-low-muh-NIN-juh-seal): This form of spina bifida is the most complex type. It affects the spine, spinal cord and the tube they are in (the spinal canal). Myelomeningocele happens when a baby is born with a sac filled with fluid that sticks out from an opening in their back. The sac holds part of the spinal cord and nerves. This causes nerve damage and other problems.
  • Meningocele (muh-NIN-juh-seal): With this type of spina bifida, a fluid-filled sac pushes through an opening in the spine. This sac contains the covering of the spinal cord, not the nerves. Nerve damage and symptoms may vary. Surgery is usually needed to remove the sac.
  • Spina Bifida Occulta (oh-KUL-tuh): “Occulta” means “hidden.” This type of spina bifida causes a small gap in the spine bones (vertebrae). Up to 20% of children with spina bifida have this form, and it usually does not have symptoms. Unlike other types of spina bifida, spina bifida occulta does not affect the nerves.

3) What causes spina bifida, and can it be prevented?

Doctors do not know the exact cause of spina bifida. Researchers think it is caused by a combination of factors, like a family’s genes or food.

Taking folic acid, also called vitamin B9, before pregnancy can lower the risk of a child developing spina bifida. Also, tests during pregnancy (prenatal tests) can help detect spina bifida. Doctors use test results to help families early by providing key information and resources before the baby is born.

 4) What are the main health issues for someone with spina bifida?

Spina bifida is a condition that lasts a lifetime and can affect many parts of a child’s health. Some of the main health issues include:

  • Bladder and Bowel Control: It is common for children with spina bifida to have problems with their bladder and bowel. This function depends on how well their nerves work. When the nerves that control the bladder and bowel do not work, it is hard for children to control when they go to the restroom. Children with spina bifida will often need help emptying their bladder and bowels, as well as staying dry during the day.
  • Mobility: There are many ways for children to move around. Depending on the type of spina bifida, some children can walk with little to no problems. Others may need braces, walkers or wheelchairs. As a child gets older and continues to grow, the way they move around may change.
  • Skin: Children with spina bifida often have less feeling in some body parts, like in their feet, legs or back. Because of this, wearing braces or spending long periods of time in a wheelchair can sometimes cause pressure sores. Pressure sores and blisters can turn into deep wounds or infections that are hard to heal. To prevent this issue, caregivers and the child should check the skin for injuries daily, like during bath time.

5) What does lifelong care for spina bifida look like?

Families come to Scottish Rite’s Spina Bifida Clinic at different points in their journey. Children with spina bifida need a team of medical experts who will partner with them to find the best treatment plan for every body part affected.

The care team includes:

  • Pediatric Developmental Disabilities (PDD): Medical Director of PDD Christine Murphy, M.D., developmental behavioral pediatrician Shanmuga Pujitha “Puji” Jonnalagadda, M.D., and physician Richard Adams, M.D., are at the forefront of spina bifida care and research. They work alongside advanced practice providers (APPs) to deliver compassionate, family-oriented and evidence-based care.
  • Neurosurgery: When a baby with spina bifida is born, evaluations and surgeries start with a neurosurgeon. Neurosurgeons complete the first step of treating spina bifida by closing the open spinal cord. Many babies with spina bifida have hydrocephalus (hy-dro-SEFF-uh-luss). This happens when the fluid around the brain does not drain fast enough. A tube, called a shunt, is placed inside the brain to drain the extra fluid. The shunt relieves the extra pressure that the slow-moving fluid causes. Each year, a neurosurgeon checks on the shunt to make sure it is working properly. 
  • Urology: Most children have issues with their bladder and bowel. A team of urologists, nurses and dietitians partner with families to create a plan to prevent common kidney complications. This team also helps children and families transition through each stage of urinary and bowel continence and achieve independence in their personal care.
  • Orthopedics: Scottish Rite’s pediatric orthopedic surgeons address problems with the muscles and bones, including conditions such as clubfoot, scoliosis and tightness related to the knees, hips or feet. They partner with experts in Orthotics & Prosthetics to create braces (orthoses) for children with this need.
  • Therapy Services: The Therapy Services team helps children with spina bifida become more independent.
    • Physical therapists provide exercises to help children move efficiently, with the goal of becoming more active and independent.
    • Occupational therapists help children develop the skills they need for success with daily activities, like putting on clothes or bathing.
    • Therapeutic recreation specialists help families find activities in the community that match their child’s interests and abilities.

Scottish Rite’s Spina Bifida team is committed to providing the best medical care for every child. When your child reaches adulthood, your care team will help them transition from pediatric to adult care, as well.

Getting treatment early, no matter which type of spina bifida your child has, often leads to more successful outcomes. If your child was diagnosed with spina bifida, Scottish Rite for Children’s Spina Bifida program can help. Request an appointment or call the Pediatric Developmental Disabilities department at 214-559-8673 to discuss spina bifida care.

When Clinical Care Feels Like Family, De’Vaun Rediscovers His Stride

When Clinical Care Feels Like Family, De’Vaun Rediscovers His Stride

Previously published in Rite Up, 2025 – Issue 3

Family means everything to 6-year-old De’Vaun, of Forney, Texas. Most of De’Vaun’s favorite activities, like watching movies or playing with Legos, are enjoyed best with his parents and older sisters. What he did not know is that his family would grow because his care team at Scottish Rite for Children would become an extension of home.

When De’Vaun’s parents noticed his left leg had bumps on the skin and was curving inward, they came to Scottish Rite’s Center for Excellence in Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction (CELLR). De’Vaun has Ollier disease, a rare condition in which masses of benign cartilage, or enchondromas, grow in the bones. De’Vaun also developed genu valgum, or knock-knee, which caused his left leg to curve inward and become shorter than his right leg.

“We had no idea what Ollier disease was,” says Kristen, De’Vaun’s mother. “We felt shocked and scared, wondering how this happened or what we did to cause this. However, we knew Scottish Rite could help us.”

A multidisciplinary approach is key to supporting De’Vaun’s physical and emotional well-being. His care team includes CELLR Clinical Director David A. Podeszwa, M.D., Emily Elerson, R.N., pediatric psychologist Whitney M. Herge, Ph.D., and physical therapist Stephanie Conti, P.T. After many discussions with De’Vaun and his family, Dr. Podeszwa treated his condition by applying an external fixator to De’Vaun’s left thigh bone. The device helps gradually straighten and lengthen his thigh bone over time.

“Correcting a deformity or lengthening a limb with an external fixator is a process in which the surgery is just one part,” Dr. Podeszwa says. “The CELLR team takes the time to explain what we are doing and how we will treat the child and their family. A child won’t know what an external fixator feels like until we apply it, so the key is preparing them for it.”

Since getting his external fixator applied, De’Vaun’s family shares that his confidence has returned. He is always excited to visit his care team to show how strong he has gotten. With the help of physical therapy, De’Vaun has progressed from using a wheelchair to using a walker to walking independently. Now, De’Vaun looks forward to getting his fixator removed!

“The whole team is literally our family,” Kristen says. “They have given us a level of support we cannot believe. They genuinely care for De’Vaun as if he is a child of their own. I couldn’t have asked for a better set of people to be in our lives.”

Get to Know Our Staff: Eddie Krische, Orthotics & Prosthetics

Get to Know Our Staff: Eddie Krische, Orthotics & Prosthetics

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite?
I am a pediatric orthotist and prosthetist, which means I am basically part engineer, part problem solver and part cheerleader for children who are learning to move in new ways.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
I enjoy helping children gain their independence and confidence with their new devices. There is nothing like seeing a child take off running in their new orthosis or prosthesis.

What makes Scottish Rite a special place to you?
Scottish Rite feels like a family. Everyone is focused on taking care of the children first, and that energy is contagious. Plus, it is one of the few places where collaboration across so many different specialties happens every day under the same roof.

What made you choose a career in health care?
I chose Orthotics & Prosthetics because I wanted to design devices for patients directly without having to be in a research lab or behind a machine. Also, I like getting to know people, learn their stories and have a good laugh with anyone who comes by.

What is something unique you get to do in your position?
Recently, I have tried to blend high-tech tools, like 3D printing and AI, with old school craftmanship to create customized devices. In our department, we are trying to figure out how we can best serve our patients daily. To do that requires a bit of engineering, artistry and detective work.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
I like to watch all the New York sports (#Let’sGoMets, #Let’sGoJets, #Let’sGoKnicks and #Let’sGoIslanders). I also like to hit the gym, tinker with my 3D printer and find the coolest spots to hang out with my friends.

Do you have any hidden talents?
In high school, my family guilted me into joining a pipe band. I really wanted to play the drums, but they only had spots left for bagpipe players. I learned how to play the bagpipes, and I must admit that it was pretty cool. We marched down 5th Avenue every year, depending on the weather.

Where are you from, and what brought you to DFW?
I am originally from Long Island, New York, which is right outside of Queens, New York. I initially came to Texas to run away from the snow and freezing winters, but it seems like that weather has followed me here. I chose to stay in DFW because of the awesome people I have met and the great community around me.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Anywhere with a beach would make me happy.

If you had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Pizza from Umberto’s of New Hyde Park, New York. No, Chicago pizza is not a real pizza.

What movie do you think everyone should watch at least once?
This is not a movie, but “Ted Lasso” is a definite must-see for everyone.

What is the first concert you attended?
My first concert was U2. The best concerts I have ever gone to are a three-way tie between Luke Combs, Zach Bryan or Taylor Swift.

If you were to have a movie based on your life, which actress/actor would you choose to play your character?
I would pick Chris Pratt. He is goofy enough, but he can still pull off serious moments.

What is some advice you would give your younger self, OR what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
“Don’t overcomplicate the small stuff,” says Dwight Putnam, who is my great mentor, friend and brother.

Noah Dunks on Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee

Noah Dunks on Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee

Cover story previously published in Rite Up, 2025 – Issue 3.

by Kristi Shewmaker

It happened after school. At an innocent game of touch football, Noah was tackled from behind. He never saw it coming. At just 11 years old, Noah’s knee pain began.

A bone bruise in his right knee was the first diagnosis he received. Noah’s physical therapist questioned the diagnosis because he was not progressing, and he lost muscle. His pain eventually waned, but as he grew over the years, the pain increased. One day at baseball practice while going after a ball, he winced in pain.

“We got into the car, and he just bawled and bawled,” says Philip, Noah’s father. “Just the look on his face — I could see his despair, his helplessness to the pain.” At the time, Noah and his family lived in the Houston area. His parents took him to one doctor after another. Finally, a doctor diagnosed him with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), a joint condition in which bone underneath the cartilage softens due to an interruption in the blood supply.

A rare condition that affects less than one percent of the population, OCD occurs most often in children and adolescents, particularly when a child is growing. It affects boys more commonly than girls, and it can occur in joints such as the ankle and elbow but is most often found in the knee. The cause of OCD is unknown, but it can be associated with injuries, as well as longterm repetitive impact to the joint. Many physicians never see a child with OCD, and some treat only a few cases per year.

After receiving this diagnosis at age 14, Noah was scared. He had played multiple sports since he was 4. “The older I got, the worse the pain got, and I couldn’t tolerate it anymore,” he says. “I thought, ‘I’m going to be 18 and not be able to play sports.’”

Noah’s family was told his treatment would most likely require many surgeries and would cost a minimum of $100,000. “We thought we were going to have to refinance our house,” says Brooke, Noah’s mother. Researching OCD online, she stayed up late into the middle of many nights reading medical articles and creating a short list of physicians who specialize in treating the condition. Noah’s family seriously considered moving to Germany for the summer so he could get treatment for a third of the price from a specialist there.

Fortunately, they did not have to move overseas because they found an expert in Texas. Brooke discovered Henry B. Ellis, M.D., pediatric orthopedic surgeon and medical director of clinical research at Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center in Frisco.

She found Dr. Ellis by reading articles that he published through his collaborative research with the international Research in OsteoChondritis of the Knee (ROCK) study group. “I also found some social media parent groups who said, ‘If your doctor’s not a ROCK doctor, find a ROCK doctor,’” Brooke says. “They provide the gold standard of treatment.”

Currently, Dr. Ellis is chair of the ROCK research committee and will be president of the group next year. ROCK has enrolled approximately 2,500 OCD cases in its database, and Scottish Rite for Children is one of the highest contributing institutions. “At Scottish Rite, we take care of well over 100 kids a year with OCD,” Dr. Ellis says, “and that’s not just surgical treatment.” OCD can also be 

treated nonoperatively if it is caught early enough during the progression of the condition.

Two weeks later, Noah and his family drove from Houston to Scottish Rite’s Frisco campus for the first time to meet Dr. Ellis. He recommended that Noah undergo surgery and scheduled it for later that month. “I felt at ease because I straight ahead asked him, ‘How many of these surgeries have you done?’” Philip says. “And he was like, ‘I just operated on a similar young athlete with a similar OCD this morning.’”

Though OCD surgery is a routine procedure for Dr. Ellis, Brooke emphasizes he also customized a treatment plan to meet Noah’s specific needs. “Dr. Ellis’ goals for Noah aligned with Noah’s goals,” she says. “He was going to do everything he could to get Noah back to where he wanted to be, and we had faith in him.”

In the car on the way home, Philip asked Noah what he thought, and Noah said that Dr. Ellis actually seemed to care about his knee. The icing on the cake was when the family learned they were accepted for Crayon Care, Scottish Rite’s charity care and financial assistance program. “All these things we thought were going to be such a burden for our family — Scottish Rite took care of it all,” Brooke says.

A few weeks later, Noah underwent surgery. “When we first looked at Noah’s knee, we were concerned that it would not heal without surgery because the lesion looked unstable,” Dr. Ellis says. An OCD lesion is the portion of bone underneath the cartilage that is damaged due to a lack of blood supply. If an OCD lesion is caught early, the body can typically heal the bone itself with three to 12 months of decreased activity and rest. However, an OCD lesion becomes unstable when the body starts rejecting the damaged bone. “Noah’s body was turning the bone into fibrous tissue, which is very much like dead bone,” Dr. Ellis says. “We recognized that his body would likely continue to deteriorate and not heal.”

In surgery, Dr. Ellis removed the cartilage in Noah’s knee to clean out the unhealthy bone underneath it. Then, he replaced the dead bone with healthy bone that he took from Noah’s pelvis. Using a suture bridge technique, Dr. Ellis put the cartilage back on the bone. For four months, Noah recovered and healed before Dr. Ellis went back in to remove the sutures.

Noah came out of his second surgery in a long leg brace locked in extension. He began physical therapy near his home in the Houston area and would gradually return to activities over many months. After one year, Dr. Ellis released Noah, allowing him to return to full activities without restrictions. At his two-year post-op appointment, Noah’s X-rays demonstrated there was no OCD in his knee.

“Noah progressed as we expected,” Dr. Ellis says. “Some kids receive a diagnosis, and they’re crushed. Noah is a resilient fighter type, both mentally and physically, where he was like, ‘Let’s get this fixed so I can move on.’”

Today, Noah plays football, baseball and basketball, but he is leaning toward a future in basketball, hoping to get a college scholarship and maybe even go pro. As a junior on his high school varsity basketball team, he moves between power forward and center. He also has a pretty mean shooting game. Noah told his clinical team that when his treatment was over, he was going to “dunk on it.” In May after his two-year post-op appointment, that is exactly what he did. “When I got up there and punched it through, I was like, ‘I did it!’” Noah says.

Thinking back on Noah’s time at Scottish Rite, Brooke says, “It’s just a blessing to be where we are.” Philip agrees. “I’m not going to lie,” he says. “I was worried sick about a surgeon chopping on Noah’s knee, but Scottish Rite has definitely been a godsend. They have covered us in every aspect, enabled us to take care of our child and not leave us in a spot where we have to sell everything.”

Noah says that his experience at Scottish Rite gave him hope. “Some people have not been as fortunate as me to find a surgeon who can do what needs to be done well,” he says. “Scottish Rite helped me to value the time that I have, that I’m getting a chance to play sports again, and that I need to do it the best that I can.”