Ilkka Helenius
MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery
Chief of Pediatric Orthopedics and Traumatology ilkka.helenius@utu.fi ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5200-3279 |
Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery; Scoliosis; Spine Surgery; Musculoskeletal tumors; Trauma surgery
Professor Ilkka Helenius, MD, is the chief of pediatric orthopaedics and traumatology at Turku University Hospital in Turku. He is the first professor of pediatric orthopedics and traumatology in Finland. He leads the multicenter studies of the Finnish Pediatric Orthopedic Study Group which focuses on scoliosis surgery, musculoskeletal tumors, and treatment of pediatric fractures. Professor Helenius has pioneered new techniques for scoliosis surgery in Finland and Nordic Countries such as pedicle screw technique, magnetically controlled growing rods, and tethering for idiopathic scoliosis. His research has lead to improved practices in blood loss control during in scoliosis surgery. Professor Helenius has frequently been invited speaker and to perform early onset scoliosis surgery in the Northern Europe. In 2017, he worked as a visiting professor and consultant orthopaedic spine surgeon at the University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
Professor Helenius started his orthopaedic research career at Orton Orthopaedic Hospital, in Helsinki, Finland in 1999. He worked as a research fellow at the Pediatric Spine Study Group lead by Professor Dietrich Schlenzka. His clinical and research career continued at the Helsinki Children's Hospital in the Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Orthopedics between 2002 and 2009. During this time Professor Helenius focused on e.g. orthopedic complications in children receiving solid organ transplantation. His research showed that risk of fractures in this patient population is significant and this resulted into systematic medical treatment. In 2007 he established the Finnish Paediatric Orthopaedic Study Group and has been the Leader since then. Currently, the study group is investigating blood saving protocols and postoperative pain management in scoliosis surgery (randomized clinical trials). The scientific activity of Professor Helenius has resulted into over 100 original scientific articles, several supervised PhDs, and improved care practices in pediatric orthopaedic surgery.
Professor Helenius is the academic chairman of Pediatric Surgery and and Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Turku. His is responsible for teaching of pediatric surgery and pediatric orthopedics for medical and specialist training of pediatric surgery at University of Turku.
- High Spinal Cord Injury After a Minor Fall in a 23‐Month‐Old Girl With Atlantoaxial Instability Associated With Morquio Type A: A Case Report (2026)
- Case reports in surgery
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - i-Factor bone graft compared with allograft in spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a preliminary comparative study (2026)
- Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics B
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Population-Based Analysis of Prevalence, Associated Anomalies, and Mortality in Anorectal Malformations in Finland (2004—2017) (2026)
- European Journal of Pediatric Surgery
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Prevalence, risk factors and mortality associated with colonic atresia: a population-based case-control study (2026)
- Pediatric Surgery International
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - An Acta Orthopaedica educational article : Treatment of pediatric spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis (2025)
- Acta Orthopaedica
(A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal ) - Answer to Letter to the Editor of C. Lu, et al. concerning “Mortality for pneumonia and risk of pneumonia in children with cerebral palsy treated with and without surgery” by M. Ahonen, et al. (Eur Spine J [2025]; doi: 10.1007/s00586-025-09625-y) (2025)
- European Spine Journal
(B1 Non-refereed article in a scientific journal) - Casting vs Surgical Treatment of Children With Medial Epicondyle Fractures (2025)
- JAMA Network Open
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Early onset scoliosis: Can Best Practice Guidelines Be Provided in Europe? (2025)
- Journal of Children's Orthopaedics
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Health-related quality of life in syndromic scoliosis treated by segmental pedicle screw instrumentation: a case-control study (2025)
- Acta Orthopaedica
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Lapsen spondylolyysi ja spondylolisteesi (2025)
- Duodecim
(A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal )



