Orthopedic surgeons provide care for joints, bones, tendons, ligaments, and tissues. Also known as orthopedists or orthopedic doctors, these providers routinely see injuries to the knee, shoulder, elbow, hip, spine, hand, foot, and many other parts of the body.
Some orthopedic surgeons choose to complete additional training in a type of surgery to refine their surgical skills. This area of focus is called a subspecialty.
Within orthopedics, there are eight subspecialties:
Sports medicine is an orthopedic subspecialty concentrated on athletic care, including treatment of musculoskeletal injury and return to sport.
Orthopedic sports medicine doctors follow their residency with a year of fellowship training in the sports medicine subspecialty.
These orthopedists treat many injuries causing knee pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, and hip pain.
Orthopedists treat many conditions throughout the body. Some of the more common conditions include:
Individuals pursuing a career in orthopedics begin their education with undergraduate degree in science, followed by four years of medical school.
Upon completing medical school, orthopedic doctors are required to complete five years of residency where they rotate between several subspecialties. It can be difficult getting into an orthopedic residency.
After four years of medical school and five years of orthopedic residency, orthopedic surgeons may choose to spend an additional year completing a fellowship.
Fellowships allow for additional practice with a single orthopedic subspecialty.
Between education and training, it generally takes 13-15 years to become an orthopedic doctor.
Orthopedic surgeons can practice privately, or they can work in hospitals or medical centers. Some doctors are available in orthopedic urgent care clinics.
Orthopedic urgent care practices provide same-day access for bone and joint injuries.
Yes, you can be seen by an orthopedic specialist without a referral from a primary care provider. You can turn to alternatives such as Google search or social media to find the best orthopedic surgeon near you.
Arthroscopy is an orthopedic procedure that allows surgeons to examine or treat damaged joints using minimally invasive techniques.
Arthroscopic surgery uses an instrument called an arthroscope to create a tiny incision through the skin that covers an injured joint. Once the incision is created, the physician can view the inside of the joint on a monitor in the surgical room via a camera attached to the arthroscope.
Arthroscopic surgery may be performed to treat joint inflammation and repair loose cartilage or bone fragments. Some of the conditions orthopedists use arthroscopy to treat are:
Arthroscopic surgery offers a few advantages over open surgery:
Because it is less invasive than open surgery, arthroscopic surgery generally offers a quicker recovery time. This also means that is also less pain and complications associated with arthroscopic surgery.
Arthroscopic surgery is also usually performed in an outpatient setting. This means patients can leave the surgical facility the same day of surgery.
Yes. An orthopedic surgeon may combine the use of MRI with their knowledge of injury location and a physical examination to determine a diagnosis.
Surgery is a big undertaking that can impact the rest of your life. You should do your due diligence finding a skilled physician for surgical treatment of your joint pain.
There are several places you can turn to find the best orthopedic surgeon near you.
Elite Sports Medicine + Orthopedics has 12 fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons in Nashville, TN.
