Dr. Steven Mardjetko is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in treating spine conditions, with an emphasis on pediatric spinal deformities, including early onset spinal deformity. He provides the gamut of treatment options for very young children all the way to adults, including advanced techniques not widely available. Because he treats adults as well as children and has been in practice for more than two decades, Dr. Mardjetko is able to understand how a spinal condition will affect a child later in life and to provide treatment that keeps long-term outcomes in mind. He was drawn to the challenge of pediatric orthopedics. He honed his abilities caring for children with rare conditions for 17 years at Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago. He frequently teaches his fellow spine surgeons at medical society meetings. He has helped develop techniques for the surgical management of Down Syndrome patients with complex cervical spine conditions. Dr. Mardjetko currently is conducting research studies examining the effectiveness of spinal stabilization instruments, the use of different spinal fixation techniques during surgery, and the use of current spinal fusion materials.