Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery

Orthopaedic surgery encompasses the management of fractures and trauma in addition to the more delicate treatment of degenerative joint diseases. Most ‘orthopods’ are responsible for the supervision of trauma patients for at least a part of their working week with the remainder being taken up by clinics and elective lists, often within a specific sphere of specialist interest.

Orthopaedic surgeons carry with them perhaps the strongest stereotype in the hospital. That of the male, pin-stripe suit wearing, rugby-playing ex-public-schoolboy, three times as strong as an ox and half as bright. However these preconceived ideas could not be further from reality, where the onus is on academic involvement, minimally invasive techniques and fine motor skills with more and more women entering the specialty. It is truly a team-orientated specialty with close links to accident & emergency, radiology, plastic and general surgery.

With continuing advancement in methods of achieving anatomical alignment of fractures and new athroscopic techniques, the specialty is growing rapidly. There is a high degree of sub-specialisation which ranges from sports injuries and minimally invasive surgery to paediatric orthopaedics or hand surgery – which often forms a hybrid specialty with plastics.

There is relatively little treatment of life-threatening disease, the emphasis is on improving quality of life and diminishing disability. As a result it is a very satisfying job with otherwise well, happy and extremely grateful patients.

Furher Information

Address




British Orthopaedic Association
Royal College of Surgeons of England
35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London
WC2A 3PN
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