We all know the medical field is very large and it can be a bit hard to remember what each section of the medical industry does and is responsible for.  Orthopedics is one of those smaller branches and luckily is one of the fields that get more attention so it is easier to remember what it is responsible for.  There are however, some things that get overlooked in the world of orthopedics that we feel should be a bit more explained.

Orthopedics Explained – What Are They Responsible For?

Quick Overview Of Orthopedics

Many times people think of Orthopedics and they think it deals specifically with bones; however this is not the case at all. In the medical world an orthopedic (a person that practices orthopedics) physician is responsible for preventing and correcting any issues with the human skeletal system, this system includes bones, muscles, joints, and ligaments.

Common Types Of Injuries Seen In Orthopedic Field

As mentioned above the orthopedic field is not only made up of injuries pertaining just to bones, they also treat anything dealing with the overall structure of the human body. An orthopedic physician is responsible for several injuries that the human may endure throughout their life; some of the most common injuries an orthopedic surgeon/specialist will see in their career are below:

  • Torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) – (Mostly in Sports)
  • Hip Fractures
  • Dislocated Shoulders
  • Torn Rotator Cuff – (Shoulder Injury)
  • Broken Bones
  • Shin Splits
  • Pulled and Strained Muscles

Now, there are a bunch of other conditions and injuries that orthopedic doctors will encounter in their medical career depending upon where they practice.

Special Roles In The Orthopedic Field

Just like any branch of the medical world you can opt to receive special training in order to practice in specific areas of practice. The orthopedic branch especially offers a wide variety of “sub-braches” for individuals to take advantage of; some of those are included below:

  • Orthopedic Surgeon–

    • Orthopedic Surgeons are responsible for repairing injuries that require surgical procedures in order to resolve. This area deals with patients no matter what their profession is, whereas the next one only deals with individuals who are athletes.

  • Orthopedic Sports Medicine–

    • This area of orthopedics is dedicated to doctors and surgeons who want to work only in the sports world. These doctors work only with sports athletes and take special training in sports related injuries such as (Torn ACL’s, Broken Bones, Muscle injuries, etc). These types of doctors don’t normally see patients that are not in the sports world.

As you can tell there are a wide variety of options for individuals looking to go into the orthopedic branch of medicine. As with everything it is great to have options no matter you are doing, but with those options it is also good to know exactly what each option is responsible for and what would be expected from you as far as professionalism.

I’m Geoff Leary, a freelance writer in Upstate New York. I once wanted to build rocket ships, but writing takes me farther. I aim to take action & make inspiration while writing about a range of topics, just to keep things interesting. Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LearyGeoff