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. Illinois has 967 practicing orthopedic surgeons. Broken out by city, orthopedic surgery doctor density in Alton is 8, in Aurora is 28, in Belleville is 13, in Belvidere is 1, in Benton is 1, in Berwyn is 10, in Bloomington is 19, in Blue Island is 3, in Breese is 1, in Calumet City is 2, in Canton is 3, in Carbondale is 6, in Carmi is 1, in Carterville is 1, in Centralia is 5, in Champaign is 7, in Charleston is 1, in Chester is 1, in Chicago is 300, in Chicago Heights is 6, in Clinton is 2, in Crystal Lake is 11, in Danville is 5, in Decatur is 6, in Dekalb is 1, in Des Plaines is 29, in Dixon is 3, in Effingham is 8, in Elgin is 19, in Elmhurst is 20, in Eureka is 1, in Evanston is 17, in Fairview Heights is 1, in Freeport is 6, in Galesburg is 6, in Geneseo is 2, in Geneva is 15, in Granite City is 7, in Harrisburg is 1, in Harvard is 3, in Harvey is 3, in Herrin is 11, in Highland is 2, in Highland Park is 4, in Hillsboro is 1, in Jacksonville is 5, in Jerseyville is 3, in Joliet is 38, in Kewanee is 2, in Lake Forest is 13, in Lincoln is 2, in Litchfield is 3, in Macomb is 1, in Marion is 1, in Mattoon is 8, in McHenry is 5, in Mendota is 1, in Moline is 13, in Monmouth is 1, in Morris is 7, in Mount Carmel is 1, in Mount Vernon is 6, in Naperville is 43, in Normal is 3, in North Chicago is 3, in Oakbrook Terrace is 5, in Olney is 1, in Ottawa is 3, in Palos Heights is 21, in Palos Hills is 6, in Park Ridge is 9, in Pekin is 4, in Peoria is 13, in Peru is 3, in Pinckneyville is 1, in Pittsfield is 2, in Pontiac is 2, in Princeton is 4, in Quincy is 6, in Robinson is 1, in Rochelle is 1, in Rockford is 30, in Salem is 2, in Sandwich is 2, in Silvis is 9, in Spring Valley is 4, in Springfield is 45, in Sterling is 5, in Streator is 4, in Sycamore is 7, in Taylorville is 2, in Urbana is 12, in Vandalia is 2, in Warrenville is 12, in Watseka is 1, in Waukegan is 1, in Wheaton is 12, in Wilmington is 1, in Woodstock is 1, and in Yorkville is 4.

Most people think that Chicago, because of its size and popularity, is Illinois’ capital city, but that distinction belongs to Springfield, home of the Abraham Lincoln Museum. Illinois has hundreds of museums, numerous yearly art and ethnic festivals, a lakeshore bordering Lake Michigan, and the many national forests and parks that offers visitors camping, horseback riding, biking, kayaking, and fishing. Chicago is home to the Sears Tower, the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, and other cultural opportunities and restaurants in the Navy Pier area.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Illinois has a population of 12,763,371. Of this population, 3,172,677 are under the age of 18 and 1,523,937 are at or above the age of 65.