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.
- Severity of vertebral fracture and risk of hip fracture: a nested case-control study (2011)
- Osteoporosis International
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Use of dietary supplements in Olympic athletes is decreasing: a follow-up study between 2002 and 2009 (2011)
- Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Vertebral fracture and cause-specific mortality: a prospective population study of 3,210 men and 3,730 women with 30 years of follow-up (2011)
- European Spine Journal
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Incidence of Spinal and Spinal Cord Injuries and Their Surgical Treatment in Children and Adolescents A Population-Based Study (2010)
- Spine
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Cementless total hip arthroplasty in patients with severely dysplastic hips and a previous Schanz osteotomy of the femur Techniques, pitfalls, and long-term outcome (2009)
- Acta Orthopaedica
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Natural History of Spinal Anomalies and Scoliosis Associated With Esophageal Atresia (2009)
- Pediatrics
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Operative Treatment of Fractures in Children Is Increasing A Population-Based Study from Finland (2009)
- Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, American Volume
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Treatment of Spinal Deformities in Patients With Diastrophic Dysplasia A Long-Term, Population Based, Retrospective Outcome Study (2009)
- Spine
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Acute patellar dislocation in children and adolescents: A Randomized clinical trial (2008)
- Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, American Volume
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Impaired bone health in adolescents after liver transplantation (2008)
- American Journal of Transplantation
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)



