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. Florida has 1,305 practicing orthopedic surgeons. Broken out by city, orthopedic surgery doctor density in Altamonte Springs is 7, in Atlantis is 4, in Aventura is 11, in Belleview is 1, in Boca Raton is 39, in Bonita Springs is 3, in Boynton Beach is 16, in Bradenton is 11, in Brooksville is 16, in Cape Coral is 15, in Clearwater is 30, in Clermont is 2, in Cocoa Beach is 3, in Coral Gables is 21, in Coral Springs is 6, in Crestview is 5, in Crystal River is 4, in Davenport is 2, in Davie is 5, in Daytona Beach is 17, in Delray Beach is 14, in Destin is 10, in Dunedin is 5, in Edgewater is 1, in Fort Lauderdale is 54, in Fort Myers is 32, in Fort Pierce is 8, in Fort Walton Beach is 14, in Gainesville is 52, in Gulf Breeze is 10, in Hialeah is 21, in Hollywood is 27, in Homestead is 6, in Inverness is 2, in Jacksonville is 104, in Jacksonville Beach is 6, in Jupiter is 16, in Kissimmee is 14, in Lady Lake is 5, in Lake City is 11, in Lake Mary is 8, in Lake Worth is 17, in Lakeland is 13, in Largo is 13, in Lauderdale Lakes is 7, in Leesburg is 10, in Lighthouse Point is 9, in Longwood is 7, in Marathon is 3, in Margate is 4, in Marianna is 1, in Melbourne is 25, in Miami is 121, in Miami Beach is 15, in Miramar is 1, in Naples is 21, in New Port Richey is 17, in Niceville is 10, in North Miami is 2, in Ocala is 15, in Ocoee is 4, in Orange City is 10, in Orange Park is 11, in Orlando is 63, in Ormond Beach is 10, in Oviedo is 3, in Palatka is 5, in Palm Bay is 6, in Palm Beach Gardens is 21, in Palm Coast is 13, in Panama City is 17, in Pembroke Pines is 17, in Pensacola is 33, in Pinellas Park is 5, in Plant City is 3, in Plantation is 22, in Pompano Beach is 13, in Port Orange is 4, in Punta Gorda is 3, in Safety Harbor is 5, in Sanford is 4, in Sarasota is 35, in Sebastian is 5, in Sebring is 6, in Seminole is 3, in South Pasadena is 5, in Stuart is 8, in Sunrise is 1, in Surfside is 1, in Tallahassee is 21, in Tamarac is 12, in Tampa is 90, in Titusville is 6, in Venice is 7, in Vero Beach is 11, in West Palm Beach is 37, in Weston is 19, in Winter Haven is 8, in Winter Park is 17, and in Zephyrhills is 5.

Florida’s warm and humid subtropical climate makes it a winter destination for many. Population in 2000 was 15,982,378, according to census statistics. Tallahassee, located in the north panhandle area, is the state capital. Tourism is a major industry in Florida, with Cape Canaveral, Disney World, the Everglades National Park, Universal Studios, the Atlantic coast and the Gulf coast all destinations for visitors and residents. Year-round outdoor activities include camping, golf, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and boating.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Florida has a population of 17,789,864. Of this population, 3,975,071 are under the age of 18 and 2,978,335 are at or above the age of 65.