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. Minnesota has 553 practicing orthopedic surgeons. Broken out by city, orthopedic surgery doctor density in Lake Elmo is 7, in Lake Park is 1, in Lakeville is 1, in Le Sueur is 1, in Lino Lakes is 1, in Litchfield is 1, in Little Falls is 5, in Long Prairie is 3, and in Luverne is 3.

Minnesota has a population of 5,132,799, more than half of which is in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, also called the Twin Cities. Though St. Paul is the capital of Minnesota, Minneapolis is its largest city. Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” so summer water-based activities and winter ice fishing, skating, skiing and snowmobiling are popular in this state. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is located at Minnesota’s northern boundary. When in the Twin Cities, be sure to visit the nearby Mall of America in Bloomington; the most-visited shopping mall in the world.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Minnesota has a population of 5,132,799. Of this population, 1,189,370 are under the age of 18 and 621,336 are at or above the age of 65.