Orthopaedics Orthopaedics
Bones, joints, ligaments and the spine mechanically: fractures, ligament tears, joint replacement, deformity.
Who is usually sent here
After injury, joint pain not settling with medical treatment, a locking joint, or a planned joint replacement.
What this specialty does NOT cover
Does not handle autoimmune arthritis — that is rheumatology. And degenerative changes on film are very common in people without pain, so a film alone is not an indication to operate.
What a first visit usually involves
Examination of movement and joint stability, a look at the films, and a discussion of options from exercise to surgery.
Bring with you
Previous films with the original images, a note of which activity hurts most, and the shoes you wear daily.
Worth asking
- Is there anything short of surgery
- If we operate, how long is rehabilitation
- If we do nothing, where will this be in a year