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Sports Physicals – Don’t Rush This Important Process For Your Young and Growing Athlete

Sports Physicals – Don’t Rush This Important Process For Your Young and Growing Athlete

by | Feb 6, 2025 | Research & Innovation

Although schools and sports organizations often require physicals annually, it is frequently overlooked until the last minute. Shane M. Miller, M.D., FAAP, sports medicine physician and the Section Director of Medical Sports Medicine at Scottish Rite for Children, shares his thoughts on the pre-participation evaluation (PPE) in the following article.

Dr. Miller suggests to follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, urging families to schedule an appointment with the child’s primary care provider at least six weeks before the season. To prepare for this apppointment, families can discuss the following topics prior to the visit:

  • Family and child medical and heart-related history and cardiac health
  • Muscle, joint, or bone pain or injuries and pain
  • Eating habits and any desires to gain or lose weight
  • Menstrual cycle frequency and any concerns
  • Use or contemplation of using supplements
  • Changes in sleep, mood, or interest in sports or friends

Learn more about Sports Medicine at Scottish Rite for Children here.

Innovation in Motion: Scottish Rite for Children’s Highlights From the 2025 PRiSM Meeting

Innovation in Motion: Scottish Rite for Children’s Highlights From the 2025 PRiSM Meeting

by | Feb 4, 2025 | Events, Research & Innovation

Scottish Rite for Children attended the 12th annual Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine (PRiSM) Society meeting in Columbus, Ohio. Scottish Rite clinicians and researchers displayed the results of 25 projects through various presentations and posters, resulting in a strong presence at the meeting.

Continue reading for highlights of Scottish Rite’s contributions and accomplishments at the 2025 PRiSM meeting:

Staff in the Spotlight

Director of Movement Science Sophia Ulman, Ph.D., led several presentations, involving the groundbreaking work from the Movement Science Lab team. She also served as a board member for PRiSM.

Director of Sports Medicine and orthopedic sports surgeon Philip L. Wilson, M.D., shared promising results from a study, which included outcomes in treating osteochondritis dissecans in the ankle, specifically the talus bone. The technique was adapted from one previously published by the team in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine as a treatment for osteochondritis dissecans in the knee.

Jacob C. Jones, M.D., RMSK, helped lead the pre-conference workshop to introduce attendees to the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound in diagnostics methods for pediatric sports medicine conditions. He also presented several novel investigations from the podium, involving the use of ultrasound to evaluate ankle injuries, as well as elbows, in asymptomatic baseball players and gymnasts.

Learn more about the annual internation Pediatric Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Symposium held at Scottish Rite for Children. Registration for the August 2025 program is open now.

Trainees in the Spotlight

Scottish Rite’s sports medicine team proudly supports young researchers and students in various programs. They mentor the young researchers by helping them prepare presentations for national audiences, such as PRiSM, and publish research, as the lead author or primary investigator.

Medical Student Research Fellow (MSRF)

Rishi Sinha, M.D., is an orthopedic resident at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. As he completed medical school at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, he participated in the one-year Medical Student Research Fellowship at Scottish Rite for Children and collaborated the sports medicine and hip teams. Sinha shared data from the Sports Cohort Outcomes Registry (SCORE), a multicenter registry of pediatric and adolescent arthroscopy cases and complications. His presentation focused on skeletally immature anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions and was nominated as a top ten contender for the Top Scientific Paper Award.

Clinical Orthopedic Research Assistant (CORA)

Each year, Scottish Rite seeks out college students in pursuing a career in medicine. Clinical Orthopedic Research Assistant (CORA) are hired to help Scottish Rite’s experts in collaborating on clinical research tasks and projects. CORA researchers specialize in an area of study and works with the experts in that department, exiting the program with a well-rounded experience to further their education in medical school or other post-graduate programs.

For the past two years, PRiSM has recognized two Scottish Rite for Children CORA researchers with trainee travel grants to present their projects. Trainee travel grants help members pay for the expenses to travel to conferences or other events to present their research. This year, the following CORA researchers gave two exceptional presentations:

  • James McGinley, B.S., a former baseball player and first-year medical student at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston, presented findings from an ultrasound study on baseball players and a project on risk factors for osteochondral fractures in first-time patellar dislocations.
  • Cassidy Schultz, B.S., presented a retrospective study on the incidence of rhabdomyolysis in North Texas and an anatomic study of the medial meniscus. She plans to become a physician assistant and will begin her program this summer.

Learn more about the Medical Student Research Fellow (MSRF) and Clinical Orthopedic Research Assistant (CORA) programs. These programs immerse medical students and college graduates in a highly productive academic setting to learn the skills necessary to become a successful musculoskeletal clinician researcher.

 

Awards and Accolades

In addition to the trainee travel grants, PRiSM society award committee members recognized a handful of outstanding projects. Recipients of these and other awards are selected by a small committee during the annual meeting.

Hank Chambers Best Scientific Paper Award

Our team is a significant contributor to data and efforts of the Research on Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee (ROCK) study group. The presentation of this data earned the Hank Chambers Best Scientific Paper Award, named for the founding member of PRiSM, Dr. Hank Chambers.

Kevin Shea Best Scientific Poster Award

Lead biomechanist Ashley Erdman, B.S., M.B.A., was awarded the Kevin Shea Best Scientific Poster for her project scrutinizing the medial knee position in the single-leg squat, a test used to evaluate knee collapse, or valgus, a known position that increases risk of ACL injury. The project is called, “Comparison of Most Medial Knee Position and Knee Abduction During a Single-Leg Squat Task: Are We Seeing the Whole Picture?”.

“Top 10” Poster

The poster titled, “Strength and Spatiotemporal Predictors of Fatigue induced Changes in Hip and Ankle Kinetics in High-School Cross-Country Runners,” was a top ten contender for Best Scientific Poster. In this poster and on the podium, sports medicine physician Shane M. Miller, M.D., and physical therapist Jessica Penshorn, P.T., D.P.T., A.T.C., shared findings from work on young runners in a project that began as an idea at the 2024 PRiSM annual meeting. They have tested young, long-distance runners in Scottish Rite’s Movement Science Lab  in a novel study evaluating movement mechanics and running mechanics across the course of a five-mile run.

Get to Know Our Staff: Bridget Barry Thias, Medical Library

Get to Know Our Staff: Bridget Barry Thias, Medical Library

by | Dec 12, 2024 | Research & Innovation, Spotlight

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite?
I manage all aspects of our Medical Library by providing evidence-based resources to our clinical staff for their clinical practice.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
Knowing that my behind-the-scenes role contributes to research, direct patient care, our staff’s continuing education and the formation of hospital policies and practices is fulfilling.

What makes Scottish Rite a special place to you?
Our mission is important and meaningful.

What made you choose a career in health care?
I like the variety. I am always learning and doing something meaningful.

What is something unique you get to do in your position?
Because of the new daily literature that crosses my desk, I stay on top of news in the health care field.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
Time spent with family and friends! I love going to good restaurants, traveling, listening to live music, going to plays and museums and watching movies.

Do you have any hidden talents?
I am interested in photography and writing.

Where are you from and what brought you to DFW?
I grew up in the DFW area.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would travel to Switzerland for the beauty of the mountains.

If you had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Palak Paneer. I love spicy Indian food.

What was the first concert you attended?
The Rolling Stones.

What is some advice you would give your younger self OR what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
Find work that is meaningful.

Dr. Carol Wise & Her Groundbreaking Scoliosis Research Timeline

Dr. Carol Wise & Her Groundbreaking Scoliosis Research Timeline

by | Jun 14, 2024 | Research & Innovation

At Scottish Rite for Children, one of the most common conditions we treat is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). With AIS, the spine curves or twists into a “S” or “C” shape for unexplained reasons. It affects two to three percent of school-aged children, equating to millions of children worldwide. It is well known that girls have a much higher risk of developing severe AIS than boys, and that it tends to run in families. Despite this knowledge, much is still unknown about the cause of scoliosis, and there is currently no way to prevent the condition from occurring.
While our surgeons treat AIS in our clinics and operating rooms, Scottish Rite’s director of Translation Research Carol Wise, Ph.D., continues her groundbreaking scoliosis genetic research two floors above. Dr. Wise and her team have received millions of dollars in grant funding, and their breakthroughs in research are advancing the world’s understanding of scoliosis. Below is an overview of her discoveries, what she and her team are studying now, and where she hopes her research will lead in the future to help patients with scoliosis around the world.

Where It Started
In 2016, Dr. Wise was awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health for a Program titled “Developmental Mechanisms of Human Idiopathic Scoliosis”. This program is a collaborative effort between three research-focused centers including Principal Investigators Dr. Wise at Scottish Rite for Children and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Liliana Solnica-Krezel, Ph.D., at Washington University and Nadav Ahituv, Ph.D., at the University of California, San Francisco. The goal of the Program is to discover the causes of AIS in children.
In the first six years of the program, the researchers discovered many genetic variants associated with increased risk of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. For example, one discovery was near PAX1, a gene involved in spine development. Curiously, this variant was found mostly in females and not males, suggesting it promotes the higher instance of AIS in females. The collaborative team went on to show that specific factors in cartilage, are relevant in AIS. This was a significant breakthrough as it pointed to specific parts of the spine that drive the disease. These findings were published in the journals Nature Communication and Bone Research.
In 2022, Wise and the team were awarded a highly competitive renewal of their grant. The goals of the new grant are to continue building on groundbreaking genetic research and define specific factors causing AIS that could be targeted for treatment. The group expanded with a fourth research center by adding Principal Investigator Dr. Gray of University of Texas at Austin.

Current Research
In a study published in January of 2024, Wise and her team defined still more genetic variants that function in cartilage and connective tissue and increase the risk of developing AIS. One of these variants was found in a gene called Col11a1, a gene variant affecting collagen. To further investigate, when PAX1 – the gene previously discovered to impact spine development – was removed, Col11a1 was reduced, limiting collagen production. Going one step further, the researchers found that lowering the levels of an estrogen receptor altered the activation patterns of Pax1, Col11a1, and Mmp3 in mouse cartilage cells. These findings suggest a possible mechanism for the development of AIS, particularly in females. This information may guide future therapies aimed at maintaining healthy spinal cells in adolescent children, particularly girls. This work was published in the journal eLife. At the same time the UCSF team, using a different approach, discovered that estrogen blockade alters functions of Pax1. This work was published in Cell Reports. Dr. Wise and her team are continuing to define the roles of human AIS-associated genes in spine using animal models and other tools.  Simultaneously, they are sharing their findings with the larger scientific community for the benefit of spine researchers worldwide.

Future Research and Goals
As Wise and the group continue unraveling the “why” of AIS it is leading to ideas for prevention or cures. Developing pre-clinical therapies, and understanding why girls are at such greater risk of progressive AIS than boys, are two major goals of Wise and her colleagues. For Dr. Wise, patients and families living with AIS inspire her work and the work of many other scientists diligently seeking answers.

Scottish Rite For Children Neurologist Steven Sparagana Honored With Legacy Fund

Scottish Rite For Children Neurologist Steven Sparagana Honored With Legacy Fund

by | May 21, 2024 | Research & Innovation

SCOTTISH RITE FOR CHILDREN NEUROLOGIST STEVEN SPARAGANA HONORED WITH LEGACY FUND
Fund will support tuberous sclerosis complex research
 
May 17, 2024 – The TSC Alliance® announced it has established the Steven Sparagana Legacy Fund to honor the upcoming retirement of Steven Sparagana, M.D., who served as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) Clinic Director at Scottish Rite for Children in Dallas for 24 years and as a professor in the department of neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
 
Tuberous sclerosis complex is a rare genetic disease that affects people at all stages of life. TSC causes tumors to grow in different organs and can impair their function, primarily the brain, heart, kidneys, skin, eyes and lungs. Nearly one million people worldwide are estimated to be living with TSC, with approximately 50,000 in the United States. Although there is no cure, there is hope. Research has proven that early diagnosis and intervention(s) are key for optimizing long-term outcomes. Advancements in research continue to deliver new and improved therapeutic options.
 
Steven Sparagana, M.D., with patients Gabby and Izzy, age 7, at an appointment for their ongoing treatment of tuberous sclerosis complex.
“The TSC Alliance is thrilled to create this fund to recognize Dr. Sparagana’s multiple contributions to TSC clinical care and research,” said Kari Luther Rosbeck, TSC Alliance President & CEO. “He also served on our organization’s Professional Advisory Board, and his early research helped create the TSC Natural History Database, which captures patient data to document the impact of the disease on a person’s health over his or her lifetime. The database now houses information on more than 2,600 people with TSC. His impact on the TSC community has been tremendous.”
 
In 2004, Dr. Sparagana’s original $141,307 grant from the TSC Research Program at the U.S. Department of Defense was the genesis of the TSC Natural History Database. He has since served as a member of the TSC Alliance’s Natural History Database/Biosample Repository Steering Committee, and Scottish Rite for Children was one of the original pilot sites for the database. His impact, particularly as it pertains to the Natural History Database and pivotal clinical trials, has been instrumental in improving the quality of life for individuals with TSC.
 
“Dr. Sparagana’s forward-thinking vision coupled with his kind and collaborative style enabled him to be a contributor and leader of multiple clinical research projects,” said Steven L. Roberds, PhD, TSC Alliance Chief Scientific Officer. “Additionally, in 2012, he chaired the development of a new section of TSC clinical consensus guidelines focused on the importance of integration of care to treat the ‘whole person’ living with TSC.”
 
The Steven Sparagana Legacy Fund will provide an ongoing source of revenue in support of the Natural History Database and Biosample Repository as a tribute to his contributions to the creation and ongoing success of these invaluable tools. Supporters can easily contribute online.
 
“I am grateful to the TSC Alliance for this honor. It has been a privilege to serve children, families and the community affected by tuberous sclerosis complex,” said Dr. Sparagana. “The Natural History Database and Biosample Repository have provided substantial contributions to TSC basic science and clinical research, and I wholeheartedly support these important endeavors. I am also thankful to Scottish Rite for Children, which has generously supported the hospital’s TSC Clinic for more than 30 years.”

Scottish Rite Is Advancing the Use of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Pediatric Orthopedics and Beyond

Scottish Rite Is Advancing the Use of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Pediatric Orthopedics and Beyond

by | Feb 12, 2024 | Research & Innovation

In many practices, musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK US) is housed solely in radiology. At Scottish Rite for Children, we are fortunate to also have two practitioners with advanced training and certification in using this tool in clinic. Sports medicine physician Jacob C. Jones, M.D., RMSK, and rheumatology practitioner Heather Benham, D.N.P., APRN, CPNP-PC, RHMSUS, use ultrasound to diagnose and treat patients for a variety of conditions.

Together, Jones and Benham have developed a comprehensive course to teach health care professionals the fundamentals of MSK US. Their extensive ultrasound backgrounds and genuine interest in teaching have come together to produce an impactful experience for the attendees.

More than 70 participants from professions including orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine physicians, orthopedic and emergency medicine fellows, physical therapists, advanced practice providers and research personnel have completed the program. Traveling from more than 15 states and two countries, the attendees have all indicated they would be interested in returning for an advanced course and many have referred others to the program.

There are several elements that make this program one-of-a-kind.

  • All faculty have expertise in the use of MSK US in pediatrics.
  • Guest faculty are invited from institutions such as Boston Children’s Hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital.
  • Pediatric models participate in the scanning sessions.
  • Injection sessions integrate a variety of tools including custom-made joint models.
  • Didactic and scanning sessions alternate throughout the day.

Jones and Benham look forward to developing an advanced course to offer in conjunction with the fundamentals course. Join our wait list to hear about it first!