Miss Jo Dartnell

Miss Jo Dartnell

BSc (Pharmcology) MBBS MRCS FRCS (Tr & Orth)

Miss Dartnell specialises purely in the bone and joint problems faced by children and young adults.

After graduating from Liverpool University in 1996 with a degree in Pharmacology, I went on to study Medicine at Guy’s, Kings and St Thomas’ Medical School, London and qualified with distinction in 2004. My surgical training began in the North East London region, including placement in Great Ormond Street, which cemented my career ambition of paediatric orthopaedics. Higher surgical training was on the South East London rotation including paediatric placements in Evelina London Children’s Hospital (ELCH) and Maidstone Hospital. I completed 2 internationally recognised fellowships in ELCH and National University Hospital, Singapore and was fortunate enough to be trained by multiple internationally renowned surgeons. I have published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and my paper on bone and joint infections in childhood has been used to inform national guidelines.

I was appointed as a Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in 2015 and am part of a team who treat tertiary level paediatric orthopaedic conditions. As well as local referrals, I see patients from all over Kent, Surrey and Sussex and hold outreach clinics in Hastings. Treating common conditions such as curly toes, flat feet, in and out toeing, bow legs and knock-knees is my bread and butter. My specialist interests are in limb deformity (congenital and acquired), sports injuries, hip problems in childhood (hip dysplasia, Perthes disease, slipped epiphysis), osteogenesis imperfecta, bone and joint infections and trauma.

Children are not just small adults and their bones and joints differ hugely in the way they respond to treatments, especially surgery. I specialise purely in the bone and joint problems faced by children and young adults, whether it is something they are born with, acquired during their childhood or as a result of trauma. This allows me to not only understand the long-term impact of conditions and their treatment options on the growing child but also the wider implications for the entire family.

I am double fellowship trained and have experience in a wide variety of both old and new evidence-based techniques to achieve the best outcomes for my patients. These include minimally invasive key-hole techniques for joints problems to the exciting use of magnetic lengthening nails for correction of limb deformities.

Recent & Current Appointments

Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells & Sevenoaks Hospitals, Kent

The Nuffield Hospital, Tunbridge Wells

Qualifications

FRCS (Tr&Orth), Royal College of Surgeons of England 2012
MSc (Tr&Orth), University of Brighton 2011
MRCS, Royal College of Surgeons of England 2007
MBBS (distinction) Guy’s, King’s, St. Thomas’ School of Medicine 2004
BSc (Pharmcology), Univeristy of Liverpool 1999

Conditions Treated

Fractures
Foot and ankle conditions including club foot
Flat foot, curly toes and intoeing
Children’s hip problems including the development of dysplasia of the hip and Perthes disease
Limb deformity from congenital problems
Growth plate injuries and trauma
Neuromuscular conditions including Cerebral Palsy
Musculoskeletal infections and disorders
Patella instability and Dislocations

Society Memberships