Group effort
How many surgeons, doctors, nurses, technicians and others does it take to provide complete orthopedic care? Quite a few, as it turns out. Whether you’re a baby boomer with arthritis, a weekend athlete with a broken leg, a teen with a sports injury or a child with scoliosis, you’ll likely meet some of the following health professionals. And because children have unique needs, pediatric specialists are highlighted as well.
Orthopedists/ orthopedic surgeons
“Orthopedics is the medical specialty that focuses on injuries and diseases of your body’s musculoskeletal system,” according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. That comprises bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves. Orthopedists treat a range of conditions such as bunions, fractures and dislocations, osteoporosis, back injuries and more. Because surgery is so integral to the role, the terms “orthopedist” and “orthopedic surgeon” are often used interchangeably. Specialists sometimes informally refer to themselves as “orthopods.”
Pediatric orthopedic surgeons
Parents may turn to pediatric orthopedic surgeons, who specialize in treating children. These experts deal with conditions such as spina bifida, clubfoot, scoliosis, broken bones, infections of the bones and joints and a variety of injuries often seen in kids. Pediatric orthopedic surgeons go through extra training and routinely perform delicate surgery involving the growth plates in children’s bones. The word orthopedic itself is actually rooted in the care of children, says Dr. Daniel Green, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “‘Ortho’ means straight and ‘peds’ means child,” he says. “So the original term orthopedics means ‘to make a child straight.'”
Musculoskeletal radiologists
It’s not just about X-rays. Clear, high-resolution images of ailing joints — hips, knees, ankles, feet, shoulders, elbows, wrists or hands — are important diagnostic tools for the orthopedic team. Musculoskeletal radiologists are specialists in magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, computed tomography, aka CT scans, and ultrasound imaging for patients with orthopedic problems. These radiologists also perform image-guided joint treatments and procedures like biopsies.
Rheumatologists
Joint and muscle pain can cut across medical specialties. It’s not always clear whether you should see an orthopedist or a rheumatologist — a doctor who diagnoses and treats rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases of the joints, connective tissue and soft tissue. The UMass Memorial Health Care website offers guidelines to help patients decide whom to see. Reasons to choose a rheumatologist include pain involving many joints, new joint pain that’s not related to any injury, joint pain following a tick bite and muscular pain. Injury-related joint pain is more in the realm of an orthopedic physician.
Orthopedic techs
When you’re relying on a plaster or synthetic cast to help you heal, it must be properly placed and fitted. An orthopedic tech is an expert in applying and removing casts, and fitting walkers, crutches and canes, according to the National Association of Orthopaedic Technologists. These pros also work with patients in traction, making adjustments in traction used to realign and stabilize bone fractures or to relieve pressure on the spine. In some cases, orthopedic techs are in the operating room, working alongside the surgical team. If you’re ever in need of a walker, cane or crutches, orthopedic techs can equip and instruct you in their use. These professionals also specialize in the application and management of braces, prosthetics and splints.
Child life specialists
For a child having a serious orthopedic procedure such as spinal fusion surgery to treat scoliosis, the preoperative and in-hospital recovery periods can be painful, anxious and tedious. Child life specialists on the orthopedic team help kids and families alike. Before surgery, the child life specialist meets with young patients and prepares them for procedures in age-appropriate ways using videos, books, dolls and toys. In the stressful hospital environment, child life specialists also support parents and siblings — which helps parents support their family member in turn.
Orthopedic nurses
Before you even check into the hospital for a joint replacement or other procedure, orthopedic nurses are on the case. By verifying medical tests are up to date, that you’re in good physical shape and fully understand what to expect from surgery and recovery, orthopedic nurses make sure you’re prepared, explains Kate Braunsky, an orthopedic nurse with the office of Dr. Tad Gerlinger, affiliated with Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago. In the hospital, orthopedic nurses are at the bedside before and after surgery. Pain management is a priority, she says. Helping patients who can’t move, for example in complex cases like neck-to-pelvis spinal fusions, is another essential role of orthopedic nurses.
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What Are the Types of Orthopedic Doctors? originally appeared on usnews.com
