Melissa Bent

Associate Professor of Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery

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Overview

Dr. Bent is an assistant professor of clinical orthopedic surgery. She trained in pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco and then completed a fellowship in non operative pediatric orthopedics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a co-director and site principal investigator of the Consortium of Technology in Pediatrics (CTIP 3.0), an FDA funded pediatric medical device accelerator with Drs. Yaniv Bar Cohen and Juan Espinoza at Lurie Children’s Hospital. She currently focuses on the use of augmented reality in pediatric rehabilitation in children with cerebral palsy. Melissa’s other academic interests include health equity in orthopedics and rehabilitation, pediatric medical device and techequity, clubfoot clinical outcomes, and advancing the growing field of non operative pediatric orthopedics.

Research Funding

  • The Use of Exergaming with augmented reality (AR) to promote physical activity in children with Cerebral Palsy
    SC-CTSI (NIH/NCATS) · Apr 1, 2023 – Mar 31, 2026 · Role: Principal Investigator

Research Keywords

  • Pediatric rehabilitation
  • Clubfoot
  • Health equity

Publications

  • Sports Participation Among Children and Adolescents Following Treatment With the Ponseti Method for Idiopathic Clubfoot: A Multicenter Survey Study. J Pediatr Orthop. 2026 Oct 01; 46(9):e836-e841.. View in PubMed
  • Postpartum Depression and Anxiety Screening During Ponseti Casting. J Pediatr Orthop. 2026 May 05.. View in PubMed
  • The Effect of Transportation Barriers on the Risk of Relapse for Idiopathic Clubfoot. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2026 Apr 21.. View in PubMed
  • Describing Inconsistencies in Pediatric Labeling of Medical Devices. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 12 01; 8(12):e2546517.. View in PubMed
  • Unpacking Social Disadvantage Metrics in Neuromuscular Conditions: Area Deprivation Index Versus Child Opportunity Index. J Pediatr Soc North Am. 2025 Nov; 13:100257.. View in PubMed
  • Pediatric Orthopaedic Medicine Workforce: Defining the Subspecialty and Trends. J Pediatr Soc North Am. 2025 Aug; 12:100238.. View in PubMed
  • Proceedings from The Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP) 2024 Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposium. BMC Proc. 2025 Mar 24; 19(Suppl 3):8.. View in PubMed
  • Integrated Business and Engineering Educational Experience for Medical Students in the Development of Pediatric Medical Devices. J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2025 Jan-Dec; 12:23821205241299987.. View in PubMed
  • Social Disadvantage and Transportation Insecurity in Clubfoot Clinic. J Pediatr Orthop. 2025 Feb 01; 45(2):e143-e147.. View in PubMed
  • Timely Hip Surgery Access in Children With Cerebral Palsy: Unaffected by Social Disadvantage at a Large Urban Safety Net Hospital. J Pediatr Orthop. 2025 Feb 01; 45(2):e138-e142.. View in PubMed