Orthopedic doctors are not something the type of doctors someone would visit often, but once in life, everyone will and should visit one at some point.
There are quite a lot of different procedures that orthopaedic doctors do, and while some are quite simple and others are very complex, we are going to talk about the most common ones and what you can expect from them.
Partial shoulder replacement
One of the most common procedures that are required to be done by an orhtopaedic doctor is partial shoulder replacement. As the name suggests, this procedure aims to replace a part of the shoulder that has been damaged throughout the years due to friction or because of some bone or joint diseases like arthritis.
I consulted a orthopaedic surgeon in Malvern regarding this to know more about it. They told me that this procedure is done by replacing the head of the humerus with a prosthetic one. The prosthetic is ball-shaped, just like the original head, and it is the perfect fit into the socket, which is left intact. After the recovery, full mobility to the shoulder is restored.
Total shoulder replacement
While partial shoulder replacements are relatively common, they are not as common as total replacements. In fact, there are about twice as many total shoulder replacements. Unlike the partial version, where only the head of the humerus is replaced by a prosthetic, in total shoulder replacement, both the head of the humerus and the socket are replaced.
There are also two versions of this procedure. One of them is as we explained already, and the other one is in reverse. When the procedure is called reverse arthroplasty, the head of the humerus is replaced with a prosthetic that has a socket, while the place where the socket was is replaced with a ball prosthetic. When it comes to results, there are no differences between the standard and reverse options.
Partial hip replacement
If you think you see a pattern here, you are completely right, as partial hip replacement surgery is less common than total hip replacement, which we are going to talk about next. When it comes to statistics, partial hip replacements are about three times more common than total shoulder replacement surgeries.
For partial hip replacement, just like with the shoulder, there is an involvement of a ball-shaped ending and a socket. This time, the ball-shaped prosthetic is added to the head of the femur, and the socket is the acetabulum on the pubic bone.
Total hip replacement surgery
Once again, the increase in the number of surgeries on a yearly basis is three times higher than the previous procedure. An interesting fact about hip replacement is that this procedure is one of the most perfected procedures of all surgery, and many surgeons would call it the most successful because of that.
There are different ways that this procedure can be completed, but today, the most modern way is to replace both the socket and the ball with the help of AI guidance, as it gives perfect results. The prosthetics used for this procedure are similar to others, as they are made of ceramic or metal, depending on the surgeon’s and patient’s agreement. The results are known to last for twenty years.
Spinal fusion
Finally, we are entering the territory where we will not talk about partial and complete procedures. Spinal fusion is almost as common as total hip surgery, and it is a procedure that aims to relieve back pain by fusing vertrebrae together. The idea behind the procedure is that if one of them is causing pain when they are fused and immovable, the pain will go away.
Total knee replacement
There should be no surprise that total knee replacement is the most common procedure done by orthopaedic surgeons. It is twice as common as hip replacement surgery, and the reason behind that is that it is the most common place of injury as well as one of the most used joints in our body.
Of course, since it is that common, if you happen to get an expert, there is nothing to worry about, as this procedure is almost as perfect as hip replacement surgery when it comes to success rate. The procedure surprisingly does not involve any replacing of the bones, but instead, the tibia and femur are resurfaced as well as the patella.
Final word
While these are some of the most common procedures done by orthopaedic doctors, there are many other ones that they perform on a daily basis.
If you happen to be experiencing some kind of pain in your joints, they are the best doctors to visit and consult when it comes to your options for recovery.
