Orthopedic surgery deals with problems of the spine and the extremities. An orthopedic surgeon diagnoses and treats patients whose musculoskeletal problems include arthritis, trauma and congenital deformities. He or she also works with patients who have traumatic and overuse injuries. Using both surgical and non-surgical means, the orthopedic surgeon will treat injuries and degenerative problems of the spine and extremities, such as hands, feet, knees, shoulders and elbows.
Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are Spinal Infection, Spinal Deformity, Spinal Discectomy, Spinal Stenosis, Spinal Injury, Herniated Disc, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Scoliosis, Spondylolisthesis, Spinal Cord Tumors, arthritis, Tennis elbow, Trigger finger, Ganglion cysts, Wrist fractures, Brachial plexus injuries, Orthopaedic trauma, and congenital deformities.
Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including Kyphosis Surgery, Disc Disease / Surgery, Joint Surgery, Hand surgery, Back / Spine Surgery , Hip Replacement, Invasive Disc Surgery, Repair fracture of radius (bone)/ulna, Shoulder arthroscopy and débridement, Repair of ankle fracture (bimalleolar type), Total joint reconstruction (arthroplasty), Laminectomy, Spine surgery, Knee replacement, Lumbar spinal fusion, Foot and ankle surgery, Carpal tunnel release, Removal of support implant, Low back intervertebral disc surgery, and Knee arthroscopy and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including MRI arthrogram, Cat Scan, x-ray, Computed Axial Tomography (CT or CAT Scan), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), PET scan, Gallium Scan, Hip Ultrasound, Medical Photography, Bone Scans, and Spine Ultrasound.
Doctor density varies by specialty and location. The United States has 27,019 practicing orthopedic surgeons. Broken out by state, orthopedic surgery doctor density in Alabama is 355, in Alaska is 71, in Arizona is 495, in Arkansas is 169, in California is 3,094, in Colorado is 504, in Connecticut is 385, in Delaware is 89, in District of Columbia is 126, in Florida is 1,584, in Georgia is 739, in Hawaii is 124, in Idaho is 154, in Illinois is 1,067, in Indiana is 557, in Iowa is 257, in Kansas is 260, in Kentucky is 335, in Louisiana is 385, in Maine is 157, in Maryland is 565, in Massachusetts is 920, in Michigan is 964, in Minnesota is 578, in Mississippi is 213, in Missouri is 607, in Montana is 103, in Nebraska is 170, in Nevada is 176, in New Hampshire is 184, in New Jersey is 804, in New Mexico is 183, in New York is 1,677, in North Carolina is 793, in North Dakota is 61, in Ohio is 1,137, in Oklahoma is 318, in Oregon is 378, in Pennsylvania is 1,386, in Rhode Island is 158, in South Carolina is 405, in South Dakota is 86, in Tennessee is 589, in Texas is 1,718, in Utah is 233, in Vermont is 61, in Virginia is 676, in Washington is 632, in West Virginia is 139, in Wisconsin is 535, and in Wyoming is 71.
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