Available to mentor
Dr. Michelle Caird is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Michigan in the Division of Pediatric Orthopaedics. She received an engineering degree from The University of Michigan, followed by medical school at The University of Michigan where she earned Alpha Omega Alpha honors. Dr. Caird completed her internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery at The University of Michigan, and fellowship training in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Caird is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Dr. Caird joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in 2004 at the completion of her fellowship. Clinically, she is a leading expert on multiple pediatric orthopaedic conditions, treating children with fractures, spinal deformity and unequal or bowed legs. She is the director of the U-M osteogenesis imperfecta multidisciplinary clinic, which cares for dozens of children and adults with the genetic disorder each year.
Dr. Caird is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion both in her department and at Michigan Medicine. She instituted the orthopaedic surgery DEI Committee and serves on Michigan Medicine’s Anti-Racism Oversight Committee. Caird is one of a handful of women in the U.S. to be appointed chair of an orthopaedic surgery department with a residency program.
Dr. Caird is one of ten 2015 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery Leadership Fellows. She is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) and represented POSNA in Northern Europe as one of the 2012 POSNA Traveling Fellows; where she studied and taught at major European centers.
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Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery FellowshipChildren's Hospital of Philadelphia, Orthopaedic Surgery, 2004
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Orthopaedic Surgery ResidencyUniversity of Michigan Medical School, Orthopaedic Surgery, 2003
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Administrative Chief ResidentUniversity of Michigan Medical School, Orthopaedic Surgery, 2003
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Surgical InternshipUniversity of Michigan Medical School, Department of Surgery, 1999
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MDUniversity of Michigan Medical School, Alpha Omega Alpha, Ann Arbor, 1998
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BSEUniversity of Michigan College of Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Summa Cum Laude, Ann Arbor, 1993
* Orthopaedic Treatment of Diseases of Pediatric Low Bone Mass – Basic Science Research - Diseases of low
bone mass like osteoporosis are commonly recognized and treated in elderly adults, but much remains
unknown about these disorders in children. In the orthopaedic research laboratory I collaborate with Ken
Kozloff PhD. We mechanically and histologically characterize the structure-function relationship in mouse
models of pediatric low bone mass including a disuse model and the Brtl IV growing mouse model of
osteogenesis imperfecta. We investigate how current antiresorptive and anabolic medications affect the bone
properties and fracture healing. For use in these studies, we characterized a fluorescent bisphosphonate
probe to trace delivery and retention of antiresorptive medications and are developing other imaging
modalities.
* Orthopaedic Treatment of Osteogenesis Imperfecta – Clinical and Translational Research - In addition to the
bench research described above, our OI research includes an arm to understand personalized medicine
response to anabolic medications. Here we take discardable surgical samples of OI bone from children and
implant them in nude mice which are treated in the lab with anabolics. We characterize the biologic response
of each person's bone in the mouse with a goal of better predicting the patient's response to the drug before
systemic treatment. We have also created an OI multidisciplinary clinic with a research arm through which we
have streamlined clinical care and discovered increased glaucoma risk in OI.
* Characterization and treatment of Cerebral Palsy Co-Morbidities and skeletal changes - In this cross-school
collaboration with Edward Hurvitz MD, Mark Peterson PhD and Dan Whitney PhD from Physical Medicine
and Rehabilitation, and Maureen Devlin PhD from the Department of Anthropology we are investigating the
changes in the musculoskeletal system and bone compartment in cerebral palsy (CP). We have
characterized a high co-morbid condition phenotype in CP and pointed out parallels to early aging at an
epidemiologic level. In addition, we are currently coupling this 10,000 foot view research with a very close up
look at bone morphology and gene expression within the marrow compartment in these patients. Our goals
are to improve understanding of burden of disease across the lifespan in order to help suggest and evaluate
novel treatment methods and preventive measures for the pathologic musculoskeletal changes.
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Sung HH, Spresser WJ, Hoffmann JP, Dai Z, Van der Kraan PM, Caird MS, Davidson EB, Kozloff KM. JBMR Plus, 2024 Jan 29; 8 (1): ziad004Journal ArticleCollagen mutation and age contribute to differential craniofacial phenotypes in mouse models of osteogenesis imperfecta
DOI:10.1093/jbmrpl/ziad004 -
Shams K, Jha S, Swallow J, Caird MS, Farley FA, Stepanovich M, Li Y. J Pediatr Orthop, 2024 Jan 1; 44 (1): 37 - 42.Journal ArticleSerum Titanium Levels Remain Elevated But Urine Titanium is Undetectable in Children With Early Onset Scoliosis Undergoing Growth-Friendly Surgical Treatment: A Prospective Study.
DOI:10.1097/BPO.0000000000002565 PMID: 37953656 -
Whitney DG, Caird MS, Raggio CL, Hurvitz EA, Clines GA, Jepsen KJ. Bone, 2023 Oct; 175: 116855Journal ArticlePerspective: A multi-trait integrative approach to understanding the structural basis of bone fragility for pediatric conditions associated with abnormal bone development.
DOI:10.1016/j.bone.2023.116855 PMID: 37481149 -
Kannikeswaran S, Whitney DG, Devlin MJ, Li Y, Caird MS, Alford AI. JBMR Plus, 2023 Jun; 7 (6): e10740Journal ArticleA Conceptual Approach for Examining Effects of the Adolescent Bone Marrow Milieu on MSC Phenotype.
DOI:10.1002/jbm4.10740 PMID: 37283653 -
Legister CS, Morgan SJ, Samora JB, Weiss JM, Caird MS, Miller DJ. J Pediatr Orthop, 2023 May; 43 (5): 337 - 342.Journal ArticlePolicies, Practices, and Attitudes Related to Parental Leave for Practicing Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeons.
DOI:10.1097/BPO.0000000000002360 PMID: 36827610 -
Whitney DG, Xu T, Ryan D, Whibley D, Caird MS, Hurvitz EA, Haapala H. Clin Rehabil, 2023 Jan; 37 (1): 119 - 131.Journal ArticlePost-fracture rehabilitation pathways and association with mortality among adults with cerebral palsy.
DOI:10.1177/02692155221123544 PMID: 36039504 -
Whitney DG, Clines GA, Leis AM, Caird MS, Hurvitz EA. Bone Rep, 2022 Dec; 17: 101613Journal ArticleFive-year risk of fracture and subsequent fractures among adults with cerebral palsy.
DOI:10.1016/j.bonr.2022.101613 PMID: 36052289 -
Whitney DG, Xu T, Whibley D, Ryan D, Caird MS, Hurvitz EA, Haapala H. J Clin Med, 2022 Sep 22; 11 (19):Journal ArticlePost-Fracture Inpatient and Outpatient Physical/Occupational Therapy and Its Association with Survival among Adults with Cerebral Palsy.
DOI:10.3390/jcm11195561 PMID: 36233436