Expert Orthopedic Surgeons

What is an Orthopedic Doctor?

An orthopedic doctor is a physician who specializes in the treatment of skeletal and muscular injuries and disorders. The musculoskeletal system supports the body, allows motion and protects the internal organs, and includes bones, muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. The orthopedic specialist focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. These can go from acute and chronic injuries (fractures, dislocations) to degenerative and congenital deformities (osteoporosis, osteoarthritis).

As orthopedists are specialists, they are usually consulted after your primary care doctor refers you. The orthopedist can then perform a thorough evaluation of your condition, assess its severity and come up with an appropriate healing plan.(1)

Some orthopedic doctors undergo additional training and specialize in certain areas of the body. These sub-specialties include:

• hip and knee surgery
• foot and ankle surgery
• shoulder and elbow surgery
• hand surgery
• spinal surgery
• orthopedic oncology
• total joint and reconstructive surgery
• sports medicine
• orthopedic trauma

An orthopedist is also an integral part of a multidisciplinary team: occupational therapists and physical therapists are also key members of the orthopedic health care team. These medical professionals work together to provide effective care and closely monitor the patient’s progress, promoting a fast rehabilitation process.

History of Orthopedics

The term orthopedics was coined in 1741 by French physician Nicolas Andry de Bois-Regard in his work L’Orthopédie. The word derives from two Greek words: “orthos”, meaning “straight and free from deformity” and “paidios”, meaning “child”. The expression translates to “straight child”, alluding to the importance of pediatric deformities and injuries in the early years of orthopedics.

The first orthopedic principles can be traced back to primitive times. Fossil evidence suggests that procedures such as bone-setting and traumatic amputations were practiced as a profession in many tribes.

Later civilizations continued these practices. The ancient Egyptians performed orthopedic procedures such as splinting, and they carried on an extensive work of recognizing and describing common orthopedic conditions, which they compiled on the very first surgical textbook. The Greeks and Romans, for instance, did a systematic study of orthopedic anatomy and surgical technique.

During the Renaissance, there was a rapid improvement in surgical technique, with new procedures taking the place of amputations. Additionally, the knowledge of bone healing was expanded, a wide range of injuries and congenital deformities were described, and orthopedic hospitals were developed.

The successes and failures of the past allowed for the rapid growth of orthopedics as a medical specialty, providing the foundation for modern knowledge, procedures, and techniques. Currently, modern orthopedics is so much more than the treatment of fractures, strains, and traumatic injuries, as it deals with all sorts of congenital and degenerative skeletal diseases. (2)

What does an orthopedic doctor do?

Orthopedic doctors focus on the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders by helping their patients reduce pain and improve their quality of life despite their diagnosis. Some of the most common conditions include:

-neck, back, foot, and joint pain (elbow, hip, and knee)

-trauma and fractures

-arthritis

-osteoporosis

-torn ligaments

-muscle strains and sprains

-work-related injuries

-sport-related injuries

-bone tumors

How Can An Orthopedic Surgeon Help You?

Any orthopedic specialist is qualified to assess and diagnose orthopedic lesions and injuries, as well as to choose the most effective and appropriate treatment option for each patient. Contrary to popular belief, surgery is the last resort, as most orthopedic injuries often benefit from non-surgical approaches:

–rest and immobilization: splints and casts prevent additional strain to the affected area, providing therapeutic healing and accelerating recovery.

–physical therapy: specific exercises and stretches not only can prevent aggravation of a preexisting injury but are also crucial in the recovery of range of motion, flexibility, and strength.

–medication: over-the-counter medicine (ibuprofen, aspirin) can be prescribed by your doctor to help relieve pain and reduce inflammation (redness, heat, swelling, pain, loss of function).

–lifestyle changes: maintaining a healthy weight, stopping smoking, adopting a healthy balanced diet, and modifying your daily exercise regime are some of the changes that can improve quality of life and recovery.

When these conservative measures fail to improve and treat an injury, a more invasive procedure, performed by an orthopedic surgeon, may be required (3).

Orthopedic doctor vs orthopedic surgeon

Similar to orthopedists, orthopedic surgeons diagnose, treat, and prevent musculoskeletal disorders; in addition, they also perform surgery when necessary. Orthopedic surgery deals with acute (trauma) and chronic (arthritis, osteoporosis) injuries, as well as congenital and acquired disorders. The procedures undertaken by orthopedic surgeons include traditional interventions (open surgery) and arthroscopy surgery(4):

-joint replacement: replacement of a joint (hip and knee are the most common) by an artificial joint – prosthesis.

-osteotomy: surgical sectioning and reshaping of the damaged bone.

-internal fixation: holding the fractured pieces of bone together using pins, screws, or plates.

–soft tissue repair: repair of ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and muscle.

-arthroscopy: a minimally invasive technique that involves small cuts and the insertion of probes and a camera into the joint.

Bibliography

(1) Kellam, J., Archibald, D., Barber, J. et al. The Core Competencies for General Orthopaedic Surgeons, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2017, Jan 18;99(2):175-181. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.16.00761. PMID: 28099309

(2) Swarup, I., O’Donnell, J., An Overview of the History of Orthopedic Surgery, The American Journal of Orthopedics, Nov/Dec 2016; 45(7):E434-E438, PMID: 28005119

(3) Marinos, G., Giannopoulos, A, Vlasis K. et al. Primary care in the management of common orthopaedic problems, Quality in Primary Care, 2008;16(5):345-9, PMID: 18973716

(4) Gehrig, L., Orthopedic Surgery, The American Journal of Surgery, 2011, Sep;202(3):364-8. doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2011.06.007. PMID: 21871990