Unni Narayanan, University of Toronto

Research

Cerebral Palsy Multi-Centre Study Outcomes Quality Of Life Comparative Effectiveness Research Clinical Trial: Prospective Cohort Study Hip Displacement/Dislocation Clinical Decision Making

Latest papers

Experiences of decisional conflict in parents offered hip reconstructive surgery for their child with cerebral palsy.
Disability and rehabilitation · 2026
Gait expectations: What does surgery achieve for ambulant children with cerebral palsy?
Developmental medicine and child neurology · 2026 · first author
Wearable inertial sensors for paediatric gait assessment: A systematic review.
Gait & posture · 2026 · senior author

All 43 publications

Latest funding

Characterizing the relationship between infrared thermography of bony prominences occluded by lower limb orthopedic casts and local skin integrity in hospitalized children with disabilities
CIHR · 2025 · Co-investigator
$722,925
Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound for Incisionless Musculotendinous Contracture Release
CIHR · 2019 · Co-investigator
$424,576
Using Priority-Based Patient Reported Outcome Measures to Facilitate Shared Decision Making in Cerebral Palsy
CIHR · 2019 · Nominated PI
$100,000

All 7 grants and awards

43 publications.

01

Experiences of decisional conflict in parents offered hip reconstructive surgery for their child with cerebral palsy.

Medeiros C, Metcalfe K, Narayanan U, Widger K

Disability and rehabilitation2026

DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2025.2591694 PMID: 41321007

02

Gait expectations: What does surgery achieve for ambulant children with cerebral palsy?

Narayanan U

Developmental medicine and child neurology2026First author

DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.70431 PMID: 42533355

03

Wearable inertial sensors for paediatric gait assessment: A systematic review.

Bavan L, Ng K, Gardner R, Andrysek J, Narayanan U

Gait & posture2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2026.110188 PMID: 42105725

04

The SCIENCE trial: surgery or not for medial epicondyle fractures.

Boutis K, Narayanan U

Lancet (London, England)2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(26)00089-9 PMID: 41576986

05

Three‐year outcomes of repeated botulinum neurotoxin A injections to the lower extremities in young children with spastic cerebral palsy in GMFCS levels I to III

Fehlings D, Bohn E, Switzer L, Goldsmith CH, Narayanan U, Rosenbaum PL, Wright FV, Foster G, Carey T, Mason M

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology20263 citations

DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.70031

06

Caregiver Values and Preferences Related to Surgical Decision-Making for Children with Medical Complexity.

Lin JL, Devereaux T, Simon TD, Kaphingst KA, Zhu A, Narayanan U, Berry ABL, Eppich KG, Stoddard G, Smith JT, Andras L, Heflin J, Keenan HT, Asch SM, Fagerlin A

The Journal of pediatrics2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114366 PMID: 39428089

07

Removable Boot vs Casting of Toddler's Fractures: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Boutin A, Colaco K, Stimec J, Camp M, Narayanan U, Bhatt M, Poonai N, Willan AR, Cook R, Nault ML, Carsen S, Boutis K

JAMA pediatrics2025

DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.0560 PMID: 40257790

08

Impact of Spinal Deformity and Surgery on Health-Related Quality of Life in Cerebral Palsy: A Multicenter Prospective Controlled Trial.

Cahill PJ, Narayanan U, Bowen M, Sarkar S, Pahys JM, Miyanji F, Yaszay B, Shah SA, Sponseller PD, Harms Study Group

Journal of pediatric orthopedics2024

DOI: 10.1097/bpo.0000000000002774 PMID: 39077879

09

The Gait Outcomes Assessment List (GOAL) questionnaire: Test-retest reliability and validity in children with cerebral palsy in Türkiye.

Apaydın U, Narayanan U, Zorlular R, Adıgüzel H, Yıldız R, Yıldız A, Erol E, Apaydın Y, Elbasan B

Gait & posture2024

DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2024.10.009 PMID: 39447428

10

Biomechanical testing of ex vivo porcine tendons following high intensity focused ultrasound thermal ablation.

Chu Kwan W, Partanen A, Narayanan U, Waspe AC, Drake JM

PloS one2024

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302778 PMID: 38713687

Characterizing the relationship between infrared thermography of bony prominences occluded by lower limb orthopedic casts and local skin integrity in hospitalized children with disabilities

Co-investigatorCIHR2025Project Grant

Principal investigators: Chau, Tom

Keywords: Immobilization; Orthopedic Casts; Pediatrics; Pressure Injury; Skin Integrity; Thermal Imaging

$722,925

Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound for Incisionless Musculotendinous Contracture Release

Co-investigatorCIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: Drake, James M

Keywords: Focused Ultrasound; Magnetic Resonance Guided Treatment; Muscle Contractures; Tendon Lengthening

$424,576

Using Priority-Based Patient Reported Outcome Measures to Facilitate Shared Decision Making in Cerebral Palsy

Nominated PICIHR2019Catalyst Grant: Patient-Oriented Research

Principal investigators: Narayanan, Unni; Gross, Paul H

Keywords: Cerebral Palsy; Clinical Decision Making; Comparative Effectiveness Research; Patient & Family Centred Care; Patient Oriented Research; Patient Preferences; Patient Priorities And Goals; Patient Reported Outcome Measures; Shared Decision Making

$100,000

Long-Term Outcomes of Hip Interventions for Children with Cerebral Palsy - An International Multi-Centre Prospective Comparative Cohort Study (CHOP-II)

Nominated PICIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: Narayanan, Unni

Keywords: Cerebral Palsy; Clinical Trial: Prospective Cohort Study; Comparative Effectiveness Research; Hip Displacement/Dislocation; Multi-Centre Study; Outcomes; Quality Of Life

$822,376

Outcomes of Hip Interventions for Children with Cerebral Palsy - An International Multi-Centre Prospective Comparative Cohort Study

Nominated PICIHR2013Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Narayanan, Unni

Keywords: Cerebral Palsy; Clinical Effectiveness Research; Clinical Trial: Prospective Comparative Cohort Study; Hip Instability; Multi-Centre Study; Outcomes; Quality Of Life

$678,974

Functional outcomes following orthopaedic surgery based on gait laboratory versus observational gait analysis in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy: A multi-centre pilot randomized controlled trial

Nominated PICIHR2009Randomized Controlled Trials

Principal investigators: Narayanan, Unni

Keywords: Cerebral Palsy; Decision Making; Functional Outcomes; Gait Analysis; Orthopaedic Surgery; Randomized Controlled Trial

$314,633

Controlled Radiography for Ankle Injury Cases in Kids in the Emergency Department (CRACKED) Study: Implementation of Best Evidence for Imaging of Paediatric Ankle Injuries

Co-investigatorCIHR2008Operating Grant: Priority Announcement (IHSPR)

Principal investigators: Boutis, Kathy

Keywords: Ankle Injuries; Clincal Controlled Trial; Clincial Decision Rules; Knowledge Translation

$100,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Pediatrics
Surgery
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Orthopedics
Developmental Biology
Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact
Physiology and Experimental Medicine
Other

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2019

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Cerebral Palsy Dear Professor Narayanan, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Experiences of decisional conflict in parents offered hip reconstructive surgery for their child with cerebral palsy." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Using Priority-Based Patient Reported Outcome Measures to Facilitate Shared Decision Making in Cerebral Palsy" (2019), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Unni Narayanan

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Experiences of decisional conflict in parents offered hip reconstructive surgery for their child with cerebral palsy.

Gait expectations: What does surgery achieve for ambulant children with cerebral palsy?

Wearable inertial sensors for paediatric gait assessment: A systematic review.

The SCIENCE trial: surgery or not for medial epicondyle fractures.

Three‐year outcomes of repeated botulinum neurotoxin A injections to the lower extremities in young children with spastic cerebral palsy in GMFCS levels I to III

Caregiver Values and Preferences Related to Surgical Decision-Making for Children with Medical Complexity.

Removable Boot vs Casting of Toddler's Fractures: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Impact of Spinal Deformity and Surgery on Health-Related Quality of Life in Cerebral Palsy: A Multicenter Prospective Controlled Trial.

The Gait Outcomes Assessment List (GOAL) questionnaire: Test-retest reliability and validity in children with cerebral palsy in T&#xfc;rkiye.

Biomechanical testing of ex vivo porcine tendons following high intensity focused ultrasound thermal ablation.

Characterizing the relationship between infrared thermography of bony prominences occluded by lower limb orthopedic casts and local skin integrity in hospitalized children with disabilities

Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound for Incisionless Musculotendinous Contracture Release

Using Priority-Based Patient Reported Outcome Measures to Facilitate Shared Decision Making in Cerebral Palsy

Long-Term Outcomes of Hip Interventions for Children with Cerebral Palsy - An International Multi-Centre Prospective Comparative Cohort Study (CHOP-II)

Outcomes of Hip Interventions for Children with Cerebral Palsy - An International Multi-Centre Prospective Comparative Cohort Study

Functional outcomes following orthopaedic surgery based on gait laboratory versus observational gait analysis in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy: A multi-centre pilot randomized controlled trial

Controlled Radiography for Ankle Injury Cases in Kids in the Emergency Department (CRACKED) Study: Implementation of Best Evidence for Imaging of Paediatric Ankle Injuries

Frequent collaborators

Kishore Mulpuri

Andrew Howard

Andrew Howard

Benjamin Alman

Darcy Fehlings

Reshma Amin

Francine Buchanan

Jan Andrysek

Sasha Carsen

Theo Moraes

Kimberley Widger

Marie-Lyne Nault

Naveen Poonai

Peter Leon Rosenbaum

Ronit Mesterman

Kelly Metcalfe

Eyal Cohen

Sevan Hopyan

Charles Harry Goldsmith

Chi-Chung Hui

The Gait Outcomes Assessment List (GOAL) questionnaire: Test-retest reliability and validity in children with cerebral palsy in Türkiye.