General Orthopaedics

Overview

Your body’s musculoskeletal system includes your bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves. All of these parts work together to allow your body to move and function in everyday life. If an injury or disease occurs anywhere in your musculoskeletal system, it could affect your ability to move and be active.

Orthopaedics focuses on diagnosing and treating conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system to restore movement, strength, and function.

Common Orthopaedic Conditions

There are several conditions and injuries that can affect the musculoskeletal system. Common orthopaedic problems include arthritis, fractures, tendon and ligament injuries, and muscle strains. Conditions like arthritis commonly affect the joints. Injuries like ligament tears and muscle strains are more common in athletes, while fractures are often the result of a traumatic injury.

Orthopaedic Treatments

Depending on the patient’s diagnosis and the severity of the condition, your orthopaedic surgeon may employ nonsurgical treatment methods, such as medications, exercise, and physical therapy. Orthopaedic surgery is generally only recommended in severe cases or if a patient does not improve with nonsurgical treatment.

If surgery is recommended, there are several surgical options, depending on the condition. Surgical treatment of orthopaedic conditions may include arthroscopy, joint replacement, and repair of soft tissue. In some cases, bones may be cut and repositioned or fused together to correct a deformity.