5 Examples of Orthopedic Surgeries

by Kevin Smith Author

You know how the song goes: "Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes." It's the nursery rhyme taught to you as a kid, and coincidentally, it's also the scope of specialist doctors known as orthopedists.

To be precise, orthopedists are the experts in everything involving the movement of the human body, specifically the musculoskeletal system. This means if there's something wrong with the bones, joints, and connective tissues in your spine, shoulders, knees, hips, ankles, and wrists, calling them for a checkup is your best bet.

Orthopedic Surgeries

If the diagnosis is severe, orthopedists are trained to perform surgeries. There are several types done on the musculoskeletal system, and by learning about some of the most common ones, you'll have a better understanding of what these specialists can do.

The following are 5 of the most common procedures performed by orthopedic doctors.

Joint Replacement

Also called arthroplasty, this surgery is done to replace a person's injured joint, usually with a prosthetic. Because this is a treatment for many problems on the hips and knees, including severe pain, arthritis, deformity, and immobility, it's one of the most common orthopedic operations.

Osteotomy

Slicing bones is an orthopedist's specialty. They do this to increase or decrease the length of a part of the musculoskeletal system, usually to repair a damaged joint. The surgery also helps correct deformities in children by reshaping bones and allowing them to grow naturally.

Spinal Fusion

As its name suggests, this is a procedure for artificially fusing spinal bones. It's performed by grafting two or more individual pieces together, allowing them to heal as a single vertebra afterward. Think of it as surgeons "welding" the spine. This is done to correct issues in, provide stability for, and repair damage to the area.

Debridement

This is the medical extraction of tissues. It's done to remove dead or damaged muscles, tendons, cartilages, and bones. It also helps prevent the initial injury from affecting and infecting nearby body parts.

Debridement is usually performed surgically by an orthopedic. But there are other methods that can remove the affected tissues such as chemical, mechanical and autolytic.

Internal Fixation

This procedure involves combining bone fragments so that they heal as a unified piece. It's done by keeping the pieces in place with pins, plates, or screws. People who receive this treatment are typically those who have suffered from car accidents and got broken bones from it.

These are some of the most common surgeries done on the musculoskeletal system. If you're interested in learning more, or if there's something wrong with your bones, joints, and connective tissues, head over to one of the orthopedic surgeons in Suffolk County, NY.