It can be rewarding to be an athlete or lead an active lifestyle, but it can also result in injuries. You exert a lot of stress and strain on your body whenever you play or exercise. When you get hurt, you should visit a physician with expertise in orthopedic sports medicine.
Doctors specializing in orthopedic sports medicine can identify and treat bones, joints, and muscle injuries. They frequently work with athletes of all types, from amateurs to professionals. They are capable of performing the following procedures:
Treatment for fractures
The diagnosis and care of shattered bones are part of fracture treatment. Your doctor may recommend surgery, braces, or casts to treat the fracture. The type of fracture and where it occurs determine the course of treatment. For instance, surgery is typically necessary for femur or thighbone fractures. On the other hand, a wrist fracture might merely require a cast.
The type of therapy you receive depends on how severe your fracture is. A cast can be sufficient for a simple fracture where the bone is cracked but not shattered into fragments. In contrast, surgery can be necessary for a compound fracture, in which the bone fractures into multiple pieces.
Arthroscopic surgery
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical treatment to identify and handle joint-related disorders. It is frequently used in orthopedics to treat conditions like:
- Tendonitis: an inflammation of the tissues that connect muscles to bones (tendons).
- Bursitis is inflammation of bursae, which are fluid-filled sacs that cushion and lubricate joints.
- Cartilage damage: results from injury or deterioration of the cartilage, the tissue that covers the ends of bones.
- Meniscus tears: holes in the cartilage that cushions the knee joint.
Repair of ligaments
A surgical treatment called “ligament repair” replaces injured ligaments, the tissues connecting one bone to another. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is the most typical ligament repair. It is one of the four main ligaments of the knee and one of the most frequently injured ones.
Joint replacement surgery
The damaged components of your joint are removed during joint replacement surgery, and artificial implants replace them after removal. Typically, implants are made out of metal, plastic, ceramic, or a mix of two or more materials.
Among the conditions that surgeons treat with this technique are:
- Osteoarthritis, a form of arthritis brought on by cartilage degradation
- Rheumatoid arthritis that develops when the immune system attacks the joints.
- Post-traumatic arthritis, a type that develops after a joint is hurt.
Fixation
Fixation is a surgical procedure that stabilizes bones or joints, often in the context of repairing fractures or joint dislocations. Screws, plates, wires, or pins are helpful. There are two different kinds of fixation: internal and external. Internal fixation refers to placing implants inside the body, whereas external fixation refers to placing implants outside the body.
Summing up
If you have any problems with your bones, joints, muscles, tendons, or other body parts, orthopedic sports medicine may be able to help. Arthroscopy, joint replacement surgery, fracture treatment, ligament and tendon repair, fixation, and reduction are a few procedures in orthopedic sports medicine.
