How an Orthopedic Doctor Can Help You in NYC

What Is an Orthopedic Doctor?

Orthopedists and orthopedic surgeons are medical doctors who specialize in treating the musculoskeletal system: bones, muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments. While every orthopedist trains in surgery, these specialists aim for non-invasive treatment whenever possible.

As their medical training progresses, the majority of orthopedists typically begin to focus on a few sub-specialties, such as sports medicine, spine surgery or adult reconstructive surgery.

The typical education path for an orthopedist comprises:

• Four years of college leading to a bachelor’s degree
• Four years of medical school
• Five years in a resident program
• One or two years of a fellowship in a sub-specialty

Beyond the training as medical students and at the onset of their careers, orthopedists must stay on top of treatment advances in their specialty. Continuing education for these specialists is a challenge; orthopedic care is a dynamic field, with innovations rolling out nearly every month.

Arthroscopic Surgery

Arthroscopic surgery is an essential skill for every orthopedist. In an arthroscopic procedure, an orthopedist makes a very short incision, typically no more than ¼ inch.

Into this slit goes the arthroscope, a tiny camera attached to a bundle of optical fibers. Linked to a video monitor, the arthroscope enables an orthopedist to view an injury with extraordinary clarity.

To treat an injury, orthopedists can make additional short incisions and take advantage of an array of specialized tools. Owing to the small incisions, arthroscopic surgery greatly reduces the risk of infections.

Better still, this minimally-invasive surgery technique enables far shorter recovery times than conventional surgery.

What Conditions Do Orthopedic Doctors Treat?

Orthopedists often diagnose and treat patients with injuries caused by auto collisions, the workplace, or slip-and-fall accidents from everyday activity.

ACL Tears

Sports fans are familiar with the phrase “torn ACL.” The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four fibrous connections between your femur — the thigh bone — and your tibia, often called the shin bone.

The ACL resides behind the patella, your kneecap. While common in sports, ACL injuries also happen with auto accidents.

Relatively mild ACL sprains resulting in knee pain may occur, but the more typical injury is a complete tear of the ligament. Women are slightly more prone to suffer this injury.

With nearly half of all ACL tears, the knee joint suffers additional injury. Damage to the meniscus, the cartilage pad between the two big leg bones, is common with an ACL injury.

The extent of injuries influences treatment options. With a partial ACL tear, physical therapy may promote healing and avoid the need for orthopedic surgery.

If a patient suffers a complete ACL tear and experiences knee instability, orthopedists typically recommend surgery.

ACL orthopaedic surgery involves removing a small portion of another healthy tendon and grafting this tissue into the knee. The tendons most often used for this procedure are the patellar tendon or a short section of the hamstring tendon from the knee’s inner side.

There is no cast after this surgery, but your orthopaedic surgeons often recommend a hinged protective brace. Patients typically need crutches for one to three weeks after the procedure. Rehabilitation with a physical therapist begins immediately, with full recovery ranging from two to nine months.

PCL and MCL Injuries

Two other knee ligaments may need orthopedic care. The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) runs down the back of your knee.

Thicker and less prone to damage than the ACL, the PCL may suffer an injury if a knee hits the dashboard in a vehicle collision. When the PCL suffers a sprain or partial tear, your orthopedist will probably recommend a knee brace and several weeks of physical therapy.

What is an orthopedic doctor likely to advise for a complete PCL tear? For this case, arthroscopic surgery is the best option for patients aiming to return to an active life.

The medial collateral ligament (MCL), located on the inner knee, may also suffer injury if the joint strikes an auto dashboard. Surgery is rare for this injury, though your orthopedist may recommend physical therapy to speed recovery.

Without other knee issues, an MCL tear typically heals within two months.

Kneecap Fractures

Fractures of the patella, the protective kneecap bone, can happen with the heavy impact of a car collision or a high fall in the workplace. If X-rays reveal bone fragments, your orthopedic knee doctor will need to perform an arthroscopic procedure to clean out the area.

With or without surgery, a kneecap fracture usually requires a cast for four to six weeks. Physical therapy follows the cast’s removal, and moderate soreness is typical for several more months.

What Other Conditions Does an Orthopedic Doctor Treat?

Knee injuries aren’t the only conditions that require orthopedic care. Persisting chronic pain in the back or neck, and hand injuries are among the many conditions that require an orthopedist for diagnosis and treatment.

Herniated Spinal Disks

In between most of the bones that comprise your spine are disks, tissue that serves as a cushion. Sudden compression, triggered by an auto accident, excessive lifting or a slip-and-fall accident, can lead to a herniated disk.

This injury occurs when the pliable tissue of a disk’s interior leaks through a crack in the tougher disk exterior. This injury nearly always occurs in either the lower back — the lumbar curve — or the neck.

In either area, symptoms include pain in the immediate area and a tingling sensation in your arms or legs. If these symptoms occur soon after an accident, seeing an orthopedic doctor is a wise move.

In most cases, the symptoms resolve with conservative treatments such as:

• Pain medication, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic manipulation
• Spinal nerve-blocking injections

For the rare patients with persistent pain, an orthopedist may perform one of these surgical procedures:

• Lumbar Microdiscectomy:  With this procedure, an orthopedist makes a short incision — under two inches — and removes the section of the herniation that presses on a nerve. Most patients report at least moderate pain relief immediately after this surgery, with some continuing to improve for months after.
• Lumbar Laminectomy: In this more invasive surgery, an orthopedist removes a section of bone impinging on a nerve. In some cases, a doctor will link two vertebrae together with a metal plate, a technique known as spinal fusion.
• Cervical Artificial Disc Replacement: For herniated disks in the neck, an orthopedist may remove the injured disk entirely and replace the tissue with an artificial disk. After this procedure, patients often resume normal activities within two days.

Hand Injuries

Hand injuries are a frequent outcome in several types of accidents. In motor vehicle collisions, a hand may suffer injury from the steering wheel, dashboard or center pillar.

In a slip-and-fall accident, a person may extend their hand to lessen the impact. In the workplace, mishandling a heavy object can injure a worker’s hand. What is an orthopedic doctor likely to do when encountering these injuries?

Here are a few examples:

• A Bennett’s fracture occurs when the bone at the base of the thumb breaks, usually because of a high impact. X-rays are the usual tool for diagnosis. In less severe cases, an orthopedist can realign the bone and enable healing with a splint. In cases with bone fragments or severe misalignment, an orthopedist will perform surgery. To enhance recovery time, the doctor may insert a pin in the fractured bone.
• Tendon injuries may result from cuts, impacts or overuse. Extensor tendons run to each finger on the back of your hand, with a pair of flexor tendons for each finger on the palm side. X-rays can help your orthopedist spot bone fragments, but a patient’s description of their sensations also provides valuable input for a diagnosis. Extensor tendons may heal with splinting, but flexor tendons nearly always require surgery for proper healing. In some cases, an orthopedist may schedule surgery within 24 hours to head off long-term disability.
• Hand nerve injuries fall into five degrees of increasing severity. A battery of tests is often necessary to pinpoint the type and severity of the injury. With lower degree injuries, a nerve may break while its protective sheath remains healthy. These injuries can heal with splinting. With injuries at or above the fourth degree, both the nerve and the sheath suffer breaks. In these higher degree injuries, an orthopedist may stitch severed nerve ends together or insert an absorbable conduit to aid the natural healing process.

How Can the Right Orthopedic Doctor Help Me?

Accidents happen. When injuries occur, you deserve prompt treatment to speed your recovery. Whether you need an orthopedic knee doctor or another specialist, Injured Call Today is your free resource for quickly finding healthcare professionals in New York and New Jersey.

The board-certified orthopedic doctors listed on the Injured Call Today medical team include neurologists, chiropractors, podiatrists, pain management specialists, and more. Every listed doctor and clinic accepts workers’ compensation, no-fault, PIP (Personal Injury Protection), medical liens and other insurance plans.

Don’t let an injury impair your quality of life; call us today, get a referral from your primary care doctor, or take advantage of our online doctor finder.