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. Louisiana has 361 practicing orthopedic surgeons. Broken out by city, orthopedic surgery doctor density in Abbeville is 1, in Alexandria is 12, in Barksdale Afb is 2, in Barksdale Airforce Base is 1, in Bastrop is 4, in Baton Rouge is 50, in Bossier City is 12, in Chalmette is 2, in Covington is 13, in Crowley is 2, in Cut Off is 1, in Deridder is 1, in Destrehan is 4, in Eunice is 1, in Fort Polk is 2, in Franklin is 1, in Franklinton is 1, in Gonzales is 3, in Gretna is 11, in Hammond is 6, in Houma is 9, in Jackson is 1, in Jefferson is 6, in Jena is 1, in Jennings is 1, in Kenner is 10, in Lacombe is 2, in Lafayette is 24, in Lake Charles is 16, in Leesville is 4, in Luling is 2, in Mandeville is 2, in Marksville is 1, in Marrero is 17, in Mer Rouge is 1, in Metairie is 47, in Minden is 2, in Monroe is 13, in Morgan City is 3, in Natchitoches is 3, in New Iberia is 4, in New Orleans is 91, in Oakdale is 1, in Opelousas is 5, in Pineville is 1, in Ponchatoula is 2, in Raceland is 2, in Ruston is 6, in Shreveport is 50, in Slidell is 10, in Sulphur is 6, in Terrytown is 5, in Thibodaux is 4, in Ville Platte is 1, in Walker is 1, in West Monroe is 11, and in Zachary is 3.

Louisiana was named after French King Louis XIV, and the state joined the union in 1812. Louisiana’s population is 4,523,628, and Baton Rouge is its capital city. Louisiana has rich cultural heritage that is celebrated at many festivals all over the state. Taste a variety of cuisines, including Cajun and Creole food. Listen to jazz or zydeco music in New Orleans, visit the French Quarter, attend the Mardi Gras in the spring, or take a steamboat trip down the Mississippi River.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Louisiana has a population of 4,523,628. Of this population, 1,132,763 are under the age of 18 and 528,837 are at or above the age of 65.