Orthopedics, or orthopedic services, aim at the treatment of the musculoskeletal system. This includes your bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
There can be many medical problems that can affect the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
Bone problems may include:
Joint problems may include:
Common orthopedic-related diagnoses based on body part include:
ANKLE AND FOOT
HAND AND WRIST
SHOULDER
KNEE
ELBOW
SPINE
SERVICES AND TREATMENTS
Imaging procedures can help diagnose or even treat many orthopedic conditions. Your health care provider may order:
Sometimes, treatment involves injections of medicine into the painful area. This may involve corticosteroid or other types of injections into joints, tendons, and ligaments, and around the spine.
Surgical procedures used in the treatment of orthopedics include:
Newer orthopedic services procedures include:
WHO IS INVOLVED
Orthopedic care often involves a team approach. Your team may include a doctor, a non-doctor specialist as well as others. Non-doctor specialists are professionals such as a physical therapist.
Other physicians that may be a part of the orthopedics team include:
Other health professionals that may be a part of the orthopedics team include:
Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW. Musculoskeletal system. In: Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW, eds. Seidel's Guide to Physical Examination. 10th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2023:chap 22.
McGee S. Examination of the musculoskeletal system. In: McGee S, ed. Evidence-Based Physical Diagnosis. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 57.
Naples RM, Ufberg JW. Management of common dislocations. In: Roberts JR, Custalow CB, Thomsen TW, eds. Roberts and Hedges' Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine and Acute Care. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 49.
BACK TO TOPReview Date: 6/8/2022
Reviewed By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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06/01/2025
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