Orthopedic Surgeon: Operations Performed by Orthopedic Surgeons

Orthopedics is the medical specialty that focuses on injuries and diseases of your body’s musculoskeletal system. This complex system includes your bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves.

Orthopedists care for patients of all ages, from newborns with club feet to young athletes requiring arthroscopic surgery to older people with arthritis. And anybody can break a bone.

Your Orthopedic Surgeon

Orthopedic surgeons manage problems of the musculoskeletal system including:

• Diagnosis of your injury or disorder
• Treatment with medication, exercise, surgery or other treatment plans
• Rehabilitation exercises or physical therapy recommendations to restore movement, strength and
  function
• Prevention with information and treatment plans to prevent injury or slow the progression of diseases

While orthopedic surgeons are familiar with all aspects of the musculoskeletal system, many orthopedists specialize in certain areas, such as the foot and ankle, hand and wrist, spine, shoulder, hip or knee. They may also choose to focus on specific fields like pediatrics, trauma or sports medicine. Some orthopedic surgeons specialize in several areas.

Adapted from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons website.

The following is a list of surgeries performed by an orthopedic surgeon.

• Amputation
• Arthroplasty, Shoulder (Shoulder Replacement)
• Arthroscopy, Knee
• Baker’s Cyst Removal
• Bone Graft
• Bunion Removal
• Carpal Tunnel Release for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Chondroplasty
• Disk Removal, Ruptured (laminectomy)
• Dupuytren’s Contracture repair
• Fracture Repair (reduction) – femoral, trochanteric, radius, ulna, ankle bones
• Hammertoe Correction
• Heel Spur Removal – Plantar Fasciitis
• Hip Nailing for Hip Fracture
• Hip Replacement, Total
• Knee Replacement
• Kneecap removal (patellectomy)
• Laceration Repair
• Laminectomy
• Ligament Reconstruction – Anterior Cruciate Ligament, Medial and Collateral Ligaments, Posterior Cruciate Ligament
• Meniscectomy – Meniscus Tears
• Morton’s Neuroma Removal
• Patella Injury Repairs
• Rotator Cuff Tear Repair
• Shoulder Arthroscopy (and decompression)
• Shoulder Replacement
• Sports Injuries
• Spinal Fusion
• Tendon Repair