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 discectomy, spinal injury, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, herniated disc, carpal tunnel syndrome, scoliosis, spinal deformity, spinal cord tumors, arthritis, trigger finger, tennis elbow, wrist fractures, ganglion cysts, orthopaedic trauma, brachial plexus injuries, and congenital deformities.

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including disc disease / surgery, hand surgery, hip replacement, back / spine surgery , invasive disc surgery, joint surgery, kyphosis surgery, shoulder arthroscopy and débridement, repair of ankle fracture (bimalleolar type), repair fracture of radius (bone)/ulna, knee replacement, laminectomy, total joint reconstruction (arthroplasty), spine surgery, foot and ankle surgery, lumbar spinal fusion, carpal tunnel release, repair of femoral shaft fracture, repair of rotator cuff tendon, and repair of ankle fracture (fibula).

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including cat scan, mri arthrogram, magnetic resonance imaging (mri), computed axial tomography (ct or cat scan), x-ray, pet scan, bone scans, hip ultrasound, gallium scan, medical photography, and spine ultrasound.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Alabama has 377 practicing orthopedic surgeons. Broken out by city, orthopedic surgery doctor density in Alabaster is 5, in Alexander City is 2, in Andalusia is 4, in Anniston is 9, in Athens is 12, in Auburn is 12, in Bay Minette is 3, in Bessemer is 6, in Bham is 1, in Birmingham is 108, in Boaz is 3, in Centre is 5, in Chelsea is 1, in Cullman is 9, in Daphne is 9, in Decatur is 17, in Dothan is 24, in Enterprise is 16, in Eufaula is 2, in Fairhope is 11, in Florence is 13, in Foley is 23, in Fort Payne is 5, in Gadsden is 12, in Gardendale is 1, in Greenville is 8, in Gulf Shores is 4, in Guntersville is 2, in Hartselle is 2, in Homewood is 4, in Hoover is 1, in Huntsville is 31, in Jacksonville is 6, in Jasper is 5, in Killen is 1, in Madison is 16, in Mobile is 51, in Monroeville is 4, in Montgomery is 25, in Moulton is 3, in Muscle Shoals is 3, in Northport is 10, in Oneonta is 1, in Opelika is 7, in Opp is 3, in Orange Beach is 1, in Oxford is 1, in Ozark is 4, in Pell City is 2, in Phenix City is 1, in Pinson is 1, in Prattville is 10, in Rainsville is 1, in Russellville is 1, in Scottsboro is 13, in Selma is 5, in Sheffield is 5, in Smiths is 1, in Spanish Fort is 1, in Sylacauga is 1, in Talladega is 2, in Tallassee is 8, in Thomasville is 1, in Troy is 1, in Tuscaloosa is 10, in Tuscumbia is 1, in Valley is 6, in Wetumpka is 1, and in Winfield is 1.

Montgomery is the capital city of this southern state, though Birmingham is its largest city. Population in 2005 was 4,557,808. Alabama is the birthplace of historical figures Hank Aaron, Helen Keller, and George Washington Carver. Take an airboat tour on the Mobile river delta, see the Alabama Civil Rights museum in Mantua, or tour the Jazz Hall of Fame in Birmingham. Visit the Shakespeare Festival Theater Complex in Montgomery, or play a round of golf at one of Alabama’s many acclaimed courses. From the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the state’s north to the Gulf coast beaches in the south, Alabama’s scenery includes a varied and diverse landscape.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Alabama has a population of 4,557,808. Of this population, 1,074,627 are under the age of 18 and 600,258 are at or above the age of 65.