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. Colorado has 528 practicing orthopedic surgeons. Broken out by city, orthopedic surgery doctor density in Alamosa is 3, in Arvada is 5, in Aspen is 6, in Aurora is 65, in Basalt is 4, in Battlement Mesa is 1, in Boulder is 31, in Breckenridge is 2, in Brighton is 3, in Broomfield is 2, in Buena Vista is 1, in Canon City is 2, in Centennial is 4, in Colorado Springs is 54, in Cortez is 3, in Crested Butte is 2, in Delta is 1, in Denver is 159, in Durango is 12, in Eads is 4, in Eagle is 1, in Eckert is 2, in Edwards is 6, in Englewood is 50, in Evergreen is 1, in Firestone is 1, in Fort Carson is 1, in Fort Collins is 27, in Fort Morgan is 2, in Frederick is 1, in Frisco is 8, in Fruita is 1, in Glenwood Springs is 4, in Golden is 22, in Grand Junction is 24, in Greeley is 18, in Greenwood Village is 7, in Gunnison is 2, in Highlands Ranch is 8, in Keystone is 1, in La Junta is 1, in Lafayette is 13, in Lakewood is 6, in Lamar is 5, in Leadville is 1, in Littleton is 51, in Lone Tree is 28, in Longmont is 14, in Louisville is 18, in Loveland is 26, in Montrose is 7, in Parker is 5, in Pueblo is 20, in Snowmass Village is 1, in Steamboat Springs is 8, in Sterling is 2, in Telluride is 2, in Thornton is 22, in Trinidad is 3, in U S A F Academy is 2, in Usaf Acadent is 1, in Vail is 27, in Walsenburg is 1, in Westminster is 3, in Wheat Ridge is 17, in Windsor is 1, and in Woodland Park is 1.

Colorado is the Centennial state; having won statehood in 1876. Its capital is Denver, called the “Mile High City,” because its altitude at the state capitol steps is 5,280 feet. Colorado’s population is 4,653,023, and over half the state’s population is in the Denver metro area. Known for its Rocky Mountains and abundant outdoor sports opportunities, such as skiing, hiking, fishing and hunting, Colorado also offers tourists Pike’s Peak, the Royal Gorge, and the Red Rocks outdoor amphitheater. Denver is home to an active theater culture, a world-class symphony, and many sports activities. You can visit a gold mine, tour the state capitol building, climb a mountain, or relax in some therapeutic natural hot springs.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Colorado has a population of 4,665,177. Of this population, 1,140,002 are under the age of 18 and 462,190 are at or above the age of 65.