Susan Apkon, MD

Professional Titles

• Fischahs Chair in Pediatric Rehabilitation
• Chief Pediatric Rehabilitation
• Vice-Chair Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Recognitions

• Seattle Children's Family Choice Award, Seattle Children's Hospital (2013)
• Rod & Randy Halvorson Award, Muscular Dystrophy Association (2013)
• Distinguished Clinician Award, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2015)
• Outstanding Council Service Award, Pediatric Rehabilitation/Developmental Disabilities Council, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2017)
• Seattle Magazine Top Doctor Award, Seattle Magazine (2017)
  2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
• 5280 Top Doctor Denver, 5280 Magazine (2008)
  2006, 2007, 2008

Research Interests

Publications

• Bouchard M, Vogel LF, Apkon SD. Restoration of Walking After Surgical Management of Equinus in a Non-ambulatory Child With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Case Presentation. PM R. 2019 Nov;11(11):1240-1243. PubMed PMID: 30859710
• Noritz G, Naprawa J, Apkon SD, Kinnett K, Racca F, Vroom E, Birnkrant DJ. Primary Care and Emergency Department Management of the Patient With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Pediatrics. 2018 Oct;142(Suppl 2):S90-S98. PubMed PMID: 30275253
• Apkon SD, Alman B, Birnkrant DJ, Fitch R, Lark R, Mackenzie W, Weidner N, Sussman M. Orthopedic and Surgical Management of the Patient With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Pediatrics. 2018 Oct;142(Suppl 2):S82-S89. PubMed PMID: 30275252
• Case LE, Apkon SD, Eagle M, Gulyas A, Juel L, Matthews D, Newton RA, Posselt HF. Rehabilitation Management of the Patient With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Pediatrics. 2018 Oct;142(Suppl 2):S17-S33. PubMed PMID: 30275246
• Apkon S, Noritz G. The primary care pediatrician: key to improving neuromotor outcomes. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2018 Sep;60(9):851. PubMed PMID: 30133721
• Birnkrant DJ, Bushby K, Bann CM, Apkon SD, Blackwell A, Colvin MK, Cripe L, Herron AR, Kennedy A, Kinnett K, Naprawa J, Noritz G, Poysky J, Street N, Trout CJ, Weber DR, Ward LM. Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 3: primary care, emergency management, psychosocial care, and transitions of care across the lifespan. Lancet Neurol. 2018 May;17(5):445-455. PubMed PMID: 29398641
• Birnkrant DJ, Bushby K, Bann CM, Alman BA, Apkon SD, Blackwell A, Case LE, Cripe L, Hadjiyannakis S, Olson AK, Sheehan DW, Bolen J, Weber DR, Ward LM. Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 2: respiratory, cardiac, bone health, and orthopaedic management. Lancet Neurol. 2018 Apr;17(4):347-361. PubMed PMID: 29395990
• Birnkrant DJ, Bushby K, Bann CM, Apkon SD, Blackwell A, Brumbaugh D, Case LE, Clemens PR, Hadjiyannakis S, Pandya S, Street N, Tomezsko J, Wagner KR, Ward LM, Weber DR. Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 1: diagnosis, and neuromuscular, rehabilitation, endocrine, and gastrointestinal and nutritional management. Lancet Neurol. 2018 Mar;17(3):251-267. PubMed PMID: 29395989
• Weaver JJ, Natarajan N, Shaw DWW, Apkon SD, Koo KSH, Shivaram GM, Monroe EJ. Transforaminal intrathecal delivery of nusinersen using cone-beam computed tomography for children with spinal muscular atrophy and extensive surgical instrumentation: early results of technical success and safety. Pediatr Radiol. 2018 Mar;48(3):392-397. PubMed PMID: 29130140
• Omura JC, Chen M, Haviland M, Apkon S. Respiratory outcomes in children with congenital myotonic dystrophy. J Pediatr Rehabil Med. 2021 Nov 14. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34806628
• Shieh PB, Elfring G, Trifillis P, Santos C, Peltz SW, Parsons JA, Apkon S, Darras BT, Campbell C, McDonald CM. Meta-analyses of deflazacort versus prednisone/prednisolone in patients with nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy. J Comp Eff Res. 2021 Dec;10(18):1337-1347. PubMed PMID: 34693725
• Marden JR, Santos C, Pfister B, Able R, Lane H, Somma M, Zhao J, Signorovitch J, Parsons J, Apkon S. Steroid switching in dystrophinopathy treatment: a US chart review of patient characteristics and clinical outcomes. J Comp Eff Res. 2021 Oct;10(14):1065-1078. PubMed PMID: 34275333
• Contesse MG, Sapp ATL, Apkon SD, Lowes LP, Dalle Pazze L, Leffler MG. Reliability and construct validity of the Duchenne Video Assessment. Muscle Nerve. 2021 Aug;64(2):180-189. PubMed PMID: 34050939
• Jimenez N, Fuentes M, Virtue A, Alonso-Gonzalez L, Lopez E, Zhou C, Crawley D, Apkon S, Johnston B, Rivara F. Feasibility and Acceptability of a Telephone-Based Intervention for Hispanic Children to Promote Treatment Adherence After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2021 Jul-Aug 01;36(4):274-281. PubMed PMID: 33656480
• Sholas MG, Apkon SD, Houtrow AJ. Children With Disabilities Must Be More Than an Afterthought in School Reopening. JAMA Pediatr. 2021 Apr 1;175(4):423-424. PubMed PMID: 33393975
• Apkon S, Kinnett K, Cripe L, Duan D, Jackson JL, Kornegay JN, Mah ML, Nelson SF, Rao V, Scavina M, Wong BL, Flanigan KM. Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy Females with Dystrophinopathy Conference, Orlando, Florida June 26 - June 27, 2019. J Neuromuscul Dis. 2021;8(2):315-322. PubMed PMID: 33361607
• Weaver JJ, Hallam DK, Chick JFB, Vaidya S, Shin DS, Natarajan N, Rad N, Reis J, Koo KSH, Shivaram GM, Thibodeau A, Apkon S, Monroe EJ. Transforaminal intrathecal delivery of nusinersen for older children and adults with spinal muscular atrophy and complex spinal anatomy: an analysis of 200 consecutive injections. J Neurointerv Surg. 2021 Jan;13(1):75-78. PubMed PMID: 32471828
• Morgenroth DC, Knowlton T, Apkon S, Blauwet CA, Burns AS, Vallejos CC, Frontera W, Hearn SL, Jayabalan P, Lim PA, Moroz A, Perret D, Powell D, Puderbaugh M, Rivers WE, Sowa G, Verduzco-Gutierrez M, Celnik PA. Challenges and Opportunities in Academic Physiatry: An Environmental Scan. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2023 Feb 1;102(2):159-165. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002127. Epub 2022 Oct 15. PMID: 36634238; PMCID: PMC10233907.
• Duis J, Skinner A, Carson R, Gouelle A, Annoussamy M, Silverman JL, Apkon S, Servais L, Carollo J. Quantitative measures of motor development in Angelman syndrome. Am J Med Genet A. 2023 Jul;191(7):1711-1721. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.63192. Epub 2023 Apr 5. PMID: 37019838.

Practice Locations

• Children's Hospital Colorado

Specialty Information

• Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Board Certification
• Pediatrics, Board Certification (2007)
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Board Certification (2007)
• Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Board Certification (2003)