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Orthopedics focuses on treating the musculoskeletal system. This system comprises muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, and tendons. A person who specializes in orthopedics is known as an orthopedist.
Orthopedists use surgical and nonsurgical approaches to treat musculoskeletal issues, such as sports injuries, joint pain, and back problems.
This article provides an overview of orthopedics. It outlines the different conditions that orthopedists treat and explains what a person can expect during an orthopedic appointment.
Orthopedics, also known as orthopedic surgery, is a branch of medicine that focuses on the care of the skeletal system and its interconnecting parts. These parts include the following:
bones, muscles, joints, tendons. ligaments & nerves
There are generally two types of orthopedists: surgical and nonsurgical. The former are called orthopedic surgeons, while nonsurgical orthopedists include physiatrists and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists.
An orthopedist often works as part of a larger orthopedic treatment team. This team may include:
physician assistants, nurse practitioners, occupational and physical therapists & athletic trainers
Orthopedists treat a wide variety of musculoskeletal conditions. These conditions may be present from birth, or they may result from an injury or age-related wear and tear.
Below are some of the most common conditions that an orthopedist may treat:
joint pain from arthritis, bone fractures, soft tissue injuries, which are those that affect muscles, tendons, and ligaments, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and problems, such as bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, overuse and sports injuries, including sprains, tendinitis, meniscus tears, and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, congenital conditions, such as clubfoot and scoliosis & bone cancer
A person may wish to ask the following questions:
A vital decision that a person has to make before an orthopedic surgery is choosing a licensed and accredited surgeon from a competent professional association.
It is important to check that a surgeon:
During the first appointment, the orthopedist will work to diagnose the person’s condition. This can include conducting a physical examination and taking X-rays.
In some instances, the doctor may carry out in-office tests or order additional tests to confirm the diagnosis.
The process of diagnosis will also involve the orthopedist:
The orthopedist may also order additional diagnostic tests. These may include:
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons states that X-rays are “the most common and widely available diagnostic imaging technique.”
An orthopedist will often perform X-rays in-office, allowing them to diagnose certain conditions during a person’s appointment. They may also deliver injections, such as corticosteroid injections to relieve inflammation, and perform ultrasound scans.
Some acute injuries, such as fractures and dislocations, require the orthopedist to manipulate the bone or joint and immobilize it using a splint, cast, or brace.
In addition to in-office treatments, a person’s orthopedist may recommend one or more of the following to treat chronic musculoskeletal conditions:
An orthopedist may specialize in a particular branch of orthopedic medicine. These branches are called subspecialties.
Some orthopedic subspecialties include:
During a TJR, or arthroplasty, the doctor will remove the worn-out surfaces of a damaged joint and use a prosthesis as a replacement to replicate the functions of a typical healthy joint.
Many people can perform daily activities more quickly after a total joint replacement.
Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that uses an arthroscope to diagnose joint problems.
An arthroscope is a long, thin camera — about the size of a buttonhole — that an orthopedic surgeon will insert into a person’s joint, most commonly the knee or shoulder. The camera connects to a video monitor that allows them to see the inside of the joint.
The surgeon can then use several small, thin instruments to fix various problems by making minor additional incisions.
Arthroscopic surgery of the knee is the most common type of orthopedic surgery that takes place in the U.S. An orthopedist may perform arthroscopic surgery to repair common joint injuries, such as meniscus tears, ACL tears, and rotator cuff tears.
It can take 1 week to several months for a person to recover fully from an arthroscopy.
An orthopedic surgeon may recommend fracture repair surgery to restore the normal anatomy of a more severely broken bone. To stabilize the bone, they can use different types of implants. These include rods, plates, screws, and wires.
Following a fracture repair surgery, it is common for a person to lose muscle strength and range of motion in the injured area. However, the doctor will recommend specific exercises to restore normal muscle strength, joint motion, and flexibility.
Orthopedic surgeons may performTrusted Source bone grafting to augment bone regeneration when a person’s body cannot produce enough new bone.
In bone grafting surgery, an orthopedic surgeon uses bone from a person’s body or a donor to repair and strengthen diseased or damaged bones. They may also use a synthetic bone substitute and biological factors when natural bone grafts are unavailable.
During a spinal fusion surgery, the doctor will fuse two or more vertebrae to correct problems with the spine. This procedure allows the vertebrae to heal into a single, solid mass of bone.
An orthopedic spine surgeon may perform a spinal fusion for some back and neck problems, including scoliosis and injuries to the vertebrae or intervertebral disks.
To become an orthopedic surgeon, a person must:
After completing the 5-year residency program, many orthopedic surgeons choose to complete an additional 1–2 years of fellowship training in one of the subspecialty areas.
A vital decision that a person has to make before an orthopedic surgery is choosing a licensed and accredited surgeon from a competent professional association.
It is important to check that a surgeon:
A person can use the ABOS and American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) websites to find an orthopedic surgeon.