Orthopaedic Surgery

What is orthopaedics?
The word orthopaedic, sometimes spelled orthopedic, comes from two Greek words:

• ortho meaning straight
• paedia meaning children

Orthopaedics is the branch of medicine concerned with diseases, injuries, and conditions of the musculoskeletal system -- relating to the body's muscles and skeleton, and including the joints, ligaments, tendons, and nerves.

The proper title of this medical specialty is orthopaedic surgery, although orthopaedics is a generally accepted term.

Who is your orthopaedic surgeon?
The physician who specializes in orthopaedic surgery is called an orthopaedic surgeon, or sometimes, simply, an orthopaedist. Orthopaedists are educated in the workings of the musculoskeletal system, which includes (but is not limited to) diagnosing a condition or disorder, identifying and treating an injury, providing rehabilitation to an affected area or function, or establishing prevention protocol to inhibit further damage to a diseased area or component of the musculoskeletal system.

The orthopaedist may have completed up to 14 years of formal education, including:

• four years of undergraduate education
• four years medical school
• five years in an orthopaedic surgery residency program
• one optional year of specialized education

After becoming licensed to practice medicine, the orthopaedic surgeon becomes board certified by passing both oral and written examinations given by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Many orthopaedic surgeons choose to practice general orthopaedics, while others specialize in certain areas of the body (i.e., the foot, hand, shoulder, spine, hip, or knee), or in a specialized area of orthopaedic care (i.e., sports medicine, trauma medicine). Some orthopaedists may specialize in several areas, and may collaborate with other specialists, such as neurosurgeons or rheumatologists, in caring for patients.

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