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.
- Instrumented cervical spinal fusions in children: indications and outcomes (2017)
- Journal of Children's Orthopaedics
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Unplanned Reoperations in Magnetically Controlled Growing Rod Surgery for Early Onset Scoliosis With a Minimum of Two-Year Follow-Up (2017)
- Spine Journal
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Gelatine matrix with human thrombin decreases blood loss in adolescents undergoing posterior spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis A MULTICENTRE, RANDOMISED CLINICAL TRIAL (2016)
- Bone and Joint Journal
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Lastenortopediset kaularankaongelmat (2016)
- Duodecim
(A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal ) - Magnetically controlled Growing Rods for Early-onset Scoliosis: A Multicenter Study of 23 Cases With Minimum 2 years Follow-up (2016)
- Spine
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Nuoruusiän idiopaattisen skolioosin korsettihoito (2016)
- Lääkärilehti
(A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal ) - Outcomes of Spinal Fusion for Cervical Kyphosis in Children with Neurofibromatosis (2016)
- Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, American Volume
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Preliminary comparison of primary and conversion surgery with magnetically controlled growing rods in children with early onset scoliosis (2016)
- European Spine Journal
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Incidence, treatment and survival of paediatric patients with bone sarcomas in Finland from 1991 to 2005 (2015)
- Acta Paediatrica
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Rigid Fixation Improves Outcomes of Spinal Fusion for C1-C2 Instability in Children with Skeletal Dysplasias (2015)
- Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, American Volume
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)



