Orthopedic surgery is a medical specialty that encompasses conditions and injuries of the musculoskeletal system.
The musculoskeletal system includes bones,
joints, tendons, ligaments, muscles and nerves. Orthopedic surgery is the medical specialty concerned with this system. Surgeons in this field do not treat every problem with some kind of surgical procedure, and many conditions are treated non-surgically. Like most medical professions, becoming an orthopedic surgeon requires many years of education and training. This typically includes four years of undergraduate education, four years of medical school, and five years of residency training.
Many surgeons also choose to specialize in one area of the musculoskeletal system. Training for most sub-specialties is usually one year in length. Examples of sub-specialties include hand surgery, total joint reconstruction, pediatric orthopedics, and surgical sports medicine. After their education and training, orthopedic surgeons must obtain certification from the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. The only specialties that a surgeon can obtain a Certificate of Added Qualifications for are hand surgery and sports medicine.
The non-surgical treatments that surgeons may recommend can include different medications, physical therapy, and rehabilitation exercises. With most medical conditions, surgery is only considered when other treatments do not work. Some of the most common types of orthopedic surgery are performed because of joint problems. Issues with the knees, shoulders, and hips often require surgery to correct. Arthroscopy is one of the most common procedures for correcting knees, shoulders, elbows, wrists, ankles, feet, and hips.
Arthroscopy involves the use of a type of endoscope that is inserted in the joint through a small incision. This type of orthopedic surgery is especially useful for treating professional athletes because they injure their joints often, and the small incisions can greatly reduce recovery time. In conventional open surgeries, the soft tissues that are cut to allow access to the joint can take a long time to heal. The endoscope is a stiff or flexible tube that is inserted into the joint. It contains a system of lenses or cameras that allow the surgeon to view the joint without cutting it open completely. Arthroscopy is sometimes performed to diagnose the problem before another surgery is done to treat it.
Another common operation is joint replacement. In this type of procedure, prosthesis is used to replace a joint that is damaged or arthritic. It is most often used to replace knee and hip joints. A joint can become damaged when the cartilage has worn away and bones are rubbing together. This can cause a great deal of pain and stiffness, and severely limit the patient’s participation in normal activities. Prior to joint replacement surgery, the patient may take pain medication to manage his or her symptoms until it becomes ineffective. The prosthetic joint may be made of ceramic or metal and typically lasts for ten to twenty years. Among the elderly, hip replacement is often needed because of the effects of arthritis.
Other types of orthopedic surgery include rotator cuff surgery for shoulder injuries, carpel tunnel release for hand and wrist pain, and ACL reconstruction for a torn ligament in the knee. These are only a few of the multiple orthopedic procedures. Since at least one of every four Americans has a musculoskeletal problem, these types of surgeries and other orthopedic treatments are very common. Back and knee injuries are the most common musculoskeletal issues.
