Orthopedics — Find Specialists & Top Hospitals Worldwide | MyMedicPlus

Orthopaedic surgery is the surgical and medical specialty focused on the musculoskeletal system — encompassing bones, joints, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and the peripheral nerves that serve these structures. The musculoskeletal system is the framework that supports movement, posture, and daily physical function, and its disorders affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Orthopaedic surgeons are uniquely trained in both the surgical correction of musculoskeletal problems and their non-operative management through physiotherapy, splinting, injections, and rehabilitation programmes. Many musculoskeletal conditions are best managed conservatively, and orthopaedic surgeons play an important role in guiding patients through non-surgical treatment pathways before considering operative intervention.

The specialty encompasses several subspecialties. Joint replacement (arthroplasty) surgeons specialise in total hip and knee replacement for end-stage arthritis. Sports medicine orthopaedic surgeons address ligament, tendon, cartilage, and bone injuries in athletes and active individuals. Spine surgeons manage disc disease, stenosis, and deformity (also covered by neurosurgeons). Trauma surgeons repair acute fractures and dislocations. Hand and upper extremity surgeons treat carpal tunnel syndrome, tendon injuries, and fractures of the wrist and hand. Foot and ankle surgeons manage Achilles tendon disorders, bunions, and ankle fractures. Paediatric orthopaedic surgeons address developmental dysplasia of the hip, scoliosis, and growth plate injuries in children.

Orthopaedic surgeons diagnose and treat a broad range of musculoskeletal conditions:

• Osteoarthritis: Degenerative joint disease causing pain, stiffness, and loss of function in the hip, knee, shoulder, and other joints; advanced cases are managed with joint replacement surgery.
• Fractures and dislocations: Broken bones and dislocated joints from trauma requiring closed reduction, casting, or surgical fixation with plates, screws, or intramedullary nails.
• ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tears: Common knee ligament injury in athletes causing instability, treated with arthroscopic ACL reconstruction using autograft or allograft tendon.
• Rotator cuff tears: Tears of the shoulder cuff tendons causing pain and weakness, managed with physiotherapy or arthroscopic or open surgical repair.
• Meniscal tears: Damage to the shock-absorbing cartilage in the knee, treated with arthroscopic meniscectomy or meniscal repair depending on tear pattern and patient age.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: Compression of the median nerve at the wrist causing hand numbness and weakness, managed with splinting, steroid injection, or surgical carpal tunnel release.
• Scoliosis: Abnormal lateral curvature of the spine in children (adolescent idiopathic scoliosis) or adults, managed with observation, bracing, or instrumented spinal fusion for severe curves.
• Bone tumours and musculoskeletal oncology: Primary bone tumours (osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma) and soft tissue sarcomas requiring limb-salvage surgery, en bloc resection, and coordination with oncology.
• Osteomyelitis: Bone infection requiring surgical debridement and long-term antibiotic therapy.
• Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH): Congenital hip joint instability in infants managed with Pavlik harness or surgical reduction in older children.

Orthopaedic surgeons perform a wide range of surgical and non-surgical procedures:

• Total hip arthroplasty (THA): Replacing the arthritic hip joint with a prosthetic acetabular cup and femoral stem; cementless or cemented fixation chosen based on bone quality and patient age.
• Total knee arthroplasty (TKA): Resurfacing the arthritic knee joint surfaces with metal and polyethylene components to restore pain-free movement and alignment.
• Arthroscopy (knee, shoulder, hip): Minimally invasive joint inspection and surgery using a camera and small instruments through tiny incisions; used for meniscal repair, ACL reconstruction, labral repair, and cartilage restoration.
• ACL reconstruction: Replacing the torn ACL with a graft harvested from the patellar tendon, hamstring tendon, or quadriceps tendon, tunnelled through the knee and fixed in anatomical position.
• Rotator cuff repair: Arthroscopic or open reattachment of torn rotator cuff tendons to the humerus using suture anchors.
• Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF): Surgically reducing displaced fractures and securing them with plates, screws, or intramedullary nails for stable healing.
• Spinal fusion: Connecting two or more vertebrae with bone graft and hardware (rods, screws, cages) to eliminate painful motion.
• Carpal tunnel release: Dividing the transverse carpal ligament to decompress the median nerve and relieve carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.
• Joint injection: Injecting corticosteroids or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) into painful joints for symptomatic relief.
• Limb-lengthening and deformity correction: Using external fixators or intramedullary devices to gradually correct limb length discrepancy and angular deformities.

Orthopaedic consultation is appropriate in these situations:

• Suspected fracture: Any injury with localised bone tenderness, swelling, deformity, or inability to bear weight or use the limb requires urgent orthopaedic assessment and X-ray evaluation.
• Joint pain limiting daily activities: Hip or knee pain that prevents walking more than one or two blocks, climbing stairs, or getting in and out of a car despite three to six months of physiotherapy and analgesics.
• Ligament or tendon injury: Acute joint instability, inability to fully extend or flex a limb, or a pop heard at time of injury in the knee or shoulder warrants orthopaedic evaluation within a few days.
• Joint locking or mechanical symptoms: A knee that locks, gives way, or catches on movement suggests meniscal or osteochondral pathology requiring arthroscopic assessment.
• Progressive joint deformity: Worsening varus or valgus knee deformity, or scoliotic curvature in adolescents progressing beyond 25 degrees on serial X-rays.
• Failed conservative treatment: When physiotherapy, NSAIDs, weight loss, and joint injections have failed to provide adequate relief over three to six months.
• Bone or soft tissue mass: Any new, unexplained mass adjacent to bone or in soft tissue requires orthopaedic or oncological evaluation to exclude primary bone or soft tissue sarcoma.

Orthopaedic surgeons complete one of the most competitive and technically demanding surgical training pathways. In the United States, the pathway begins with a four-year medical degree (MD or DO), followed by a five-year orthopaedic surgery residency at an ACGME-accredited programme. During residency, trainees rotate through trauma, joint arthroplasty, sports medicine, spine, hand surgery, paediatric orthopaedics, and orthopaedic oncology.

Following residency, the majority of orthopaedic surgeons complete a one-year subspecialty fellowship in joint replacement, sports medicine, spine surgery, trauma, hand and upper extremity surgery, foot and ankle surgery, or paediatric orthopaedics. Fellowship training provides the high-volume surgical experience necessary for expertise in complex procedures.

Board certification is awarded by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) upon passing a qualifying written examination and an oral examination. Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) subspecialty certification is available for orthopaedic sports medicine. In the UK, orthopaedic surgeons hold FRCS (Tr & Orth). Lifelong recertification, ongoing surgical audit, and cadaveric skills courses ensure maintenance of technical competency.

Your GP, sports medicine physician, or emergency department physician will refer you to an orthopaedic surgeon based on clinical and imaging findings. For non-emergency referrals, ask your GP to specify the correct orthopaedic subspecialist — a knee arthroscopist for an ACL tear, a joint replacement surgeon for severe arthritis, or a hand surgeon for carpal tunnel syndrome.

For joint replacement surgery, outcome data consistently shows better results at centres where surgeons perform at least 50 joint replacements per year. Ask your surgeon about their annual case volume, the specific implant brand and design they use, anaesthesia options (general versus spinal), and the postoperative rehabilitation protocol. Bring all prior X-rays and MRI scans to your consultation. Discuss realistic expectations for pain relief, functional recovery timeline, and return to specific activities such as sports, work, or travel before agreeing to proceed with surgery.