May 15, 2018
Facts About Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics
This is a field of medicine that deals with diagnosis, treatment and taking care of athletes and other players. Sports medicine, orthopedic surgeons, and surgeons have in-depth knowledge and expertise in common, rare and complex orthopedic conditions.
Benefits of Choosing an Orthopaedic Expert or Surgeon
Sports injuries, back pain, stiff neck muscles and arthritic hips are the main musculoskelet
al issues that affect many people and the healthcare system in general. For example, over three million hospitalizations occur in the US every year. Their annual medical cost is about 245B USD. About 14 percent of this cost is used in treating musculoskeletal conditions. This means that you should always choose an experienced Orthopaedic Surgeon for proper diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.
Who are Orthopaedic Surgeons?
These physicians are devoted to the prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, diagnosis of injuries, diseases, disorders that affect the musculoskeletal systems of the body. The main components of the musculoskeletal system include joints, muscles, ligaments, bones, tendons, and nerves. These surgeons are familiar with all the important aspects of this system. They are also specialized in certain areas like ankle and foot, shoulder, spine, knee, hip, hand, and elbow. In addition to this, some orthopedic surgeons are focussed on certain areas such as trauma, pediatrics, oncology (bone tumors), sports medicine, and reconstructive surgery.
Main Areas That are Treated by Orthopaedics
These physicians are capable of treating various musculoskeletal even without using alternative or rehabilitative therapies, medications, surgery, and exercises. If necessary, they can recommend other forms of treatment if the patient does not improve. They are also trained to treat the following diseases and conditions:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Torn ligaments, strains, and sprains
- Growth abnormalities
- Abnormalities of the toes and fingers
- Work-related and sport injuries
- Bone tumors
- Back pain, scoliosis, sciatica, and ruptured disks
- Dislocations and fractures
Types of Surgeries Performed By Orthopaedic Surgeons
The following are the common surgeries performed by these physicians on patients
:
Fusion– This is a simple “welding” process that is performed on fractures of broken bones. The fractured bones are fused together with internal devices like metal rods. Bone grafts are also used to fuse the fractured bones to form a solid bone.
Soft tissue repair– this is one of the effective methods of mending the soft tissues like ligaments and tendons.
Internal Fixation– This involves holding together the broken of fractures pieces of the patients’ bones in the right position. These pieces are held together with pins, metal plates and screws to ensure that they are in the proper position.
Osteotomy– This is a special procedure that is conducted to correct deformities in bones by repositioning and cutting them.