Whether it’s a broken bone or osteoarthritis of the knee, problems with the hip joints or osteoporosis—these are all cases for an orthopedist. The specialist in trauma surgery and orthopedics deals with congenital and acquired disorders and diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
They are just as familiar with bones, joints, and ligaments as they are with tendons and muscles. Orthopedic surgeons do not always perform surgery; conservative treatment is often sufficient, even for herniated discs.
The human musculoskeletal system consists of bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, as well as the skeleton and skeletal muscles.
The bony skeleton serves to support, stabilize, and shape the body’s form and posture. The muscles and tendons are responsible for the body’s mobility and locomotion.
Orthopedics deals with deformities and diseases of the musculoskeletal system @ New Africa /AdobeStock
Medical specialists in bones, joints, and the spine
Orthopedics and trauma surgery focus on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system.
Various screening and examination procedures are available to diagnose different conditions of the joints, bones, and spine.
These include imaging methods such as:
- Ultrasound
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Bone scintigraphy
- Bone density measurement
- Arthroscopy
Bone density measurement is a low-dose X-ray examination that shows how stable and strong the bones are @ Robert Kneschke /AdobeStock
The treatment of orthopedic conditions can be conservative, involving:
- Physical therapy
- Pain management or medication
If conservative treatment is not possible, surgical methods are used.
Subspecialties of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery
Within orthopedics and trauma surgery, there are many other subspecialties, such as:
- Joint Replacement
- Foot surgery
- Hand surgery
- Knee surgery
- Hip surgery
- Shoulder Surgery
- Sports Traumatology
- Spinal Surgery
These specialties also focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of medical conditions.
Hip replacement is one of the most common orthopedic procedures @ sakurra /AdobeStock
Orthopedic surgeons specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of bone, joint, muscle, and tendon disorders such as:
- Osteoarthritis (e.g., knee osteoarthritis)
- Rheumatism or
- Osteoporosis
Experts in trauma surgery deal with accident-related injuries to the human organ systems and the musculoskeletal system, such as:
- Bone and joint fractures
- Injuries to muscles, tendons, and ligaments
Experts in joint replacement specialize in replacing diseased, injured, or damaged joints with artificial joints (joint replacement).
Their role involves implanting artificial joints such as:
The goal of joint replacement surgery is to eliminate pain and restore mobility and function to the affected joint.
Surgeries on intervertebral discs or procedures to treat a vertebral fracture or spinal stenosis are typically performed by experts in spinal surgery.
They treat degenerative, trauma-related, inflammatory, or neoplastic conditions and injuries of the spine and intervertebral discs.
Foot surgery specialists focus on the diagnosis and treatment of congenital and acquired conditions and deformities of the foot.
Their treatment focuses on foot and toe deformities such as:
- hallux valgus
- Hallux rigidus, or
- hammer toes
The primary goal of foot surgery is to restore the foot’s functionality and relieve pain.
If conservative treatment of foot conditions—such as orthotics or physical therapy—is no longer possible, a foot surgeon performs surgery.
Types of hallux valgus @ Kristina Bulgakova / AdobeStock
Experts in shoulder surgery focus primarily on the surgical treatment of trauma-related and degenerative conditions of the shoulder.
These include osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint, which doctors can treat by implanting a shoulder prosthesis.
Sports traumatology experts specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries.
Their main areas of treatment include:
- ligament and tendon injuries, such as a torn cruciate ligament, fractures, or
- tennis elbow
Anterior cruciate ligament tear @ Henrie /AdobeStock
Experts in orthopedic rehabilitation focus primarily on the rehabilitation of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system.