What Are the Different Types of Orthopedic Surgery?

Orthopedics is a medical field that focuses on conditions and diseases related to the musculoskeletal system. This includes the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. An orthopedic doctor or surgeon specializes in helping people with musculoskeletal issues, including performing surgery on different parts of the body.

In this blog post, we will focus on orthopedic surgery. We will highlight some of the most common types of orthopedic surgery today. These include shoulder replacement, ACL reconstruction, hip replacement, and joint fusion. If you’re interested in learning more, keep reading this orthopedic surgery guide.

Shoulder Replacement

Shoulder replacement surgery may be required if a person seriously damages their shoulder joint. Approximately 50,000 shoulder replacement surgeries are performed in the United States each year, highlighting its popularity.

During the surgery, the damaged bone is removed and replaced with metal or plastic implants. There are 3 types of shoulder replacement surgeries to be aware of:

Total shoulder replacement
Partial shoulder replacement
Reverse shoulder replacement

Speak to our team today to learn more about shoulder replacement surgery.

ACL Reconstruction

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the major ligaments of the knee. Injuries to the ACL are very common among people who play sports. Movements that can damage the ACL include:

Stopping suddenly
Changing direction quickly
Planting the foot and pivoting
Landing wrong after a jump

There are different types of ACL surgery, including autograft, allograft, and synthetic graft. The recovery process following ACL reconstruction can be upwards of 12 months.

Hip Replacement

Hip replacement surgery is most common among people aged between 50 and 80. It is typically performed for arthritis of the hip, which causes cartilage to break down. Without cartilage, people experience severe pain as the bones start to rub against each other.

There are 4 components of a replacement hip. These include:

Metal socket
Liner (to help the ball move easily within the socket)
Metal road (used to stabilize the thigh bone)
Ceramic or metal ball (to replace the femoral head)

Hip replacement surgeries have a high success rate and allow people to perform daily activities without discomfort.

Joint Fusion

Joint fusion may be recommended if a person suffers from severe arthritis pain. It is a procedure that fuses together the bones that make up an aching joint. By creating one solid bone, people experience less pain and a more stable joint.

Joint fusion can be performed on many different joints. These include:

Ankles
Spine
Wrists
Feet
Fingers
Thumbs

The golfer Tiger Woods famously underwent spinal fusion before returning to win his 15th major championship.

The Different Types of Orthopedic Surgery

There are of course many other types of orthopedic surgery available today. If you are interested in learning more about surgeries to treat conditions and injuries of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hands, your premier choice in Boise is the Idaho Shoulder to Hand Center.