Why is orthopaedic surgery important?

Orthopaedic surgery is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopaedic surgeons use both surgical and non-surgical treatment for musculoskeletal trauma, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumours and congenital disorders.

Work injuries

In many jobs, workers have a lot of risks of orthopaedic injuries, for example, bone fractures caused by falling down, soft tissue injury from knocks or cuts. It is necessary to identify potential hazards and to recommend the safest way to do the job using preventive measures.

Sports injuries

Currently, the young adult likes to do sport in his free time, and it is the cause of many injuries. It is necessary to take steps to prevent injuries:

a)   First of all gently stretch;

b)   Warm up muscles before exercise;

c)   Start the exercise with light, gentle movements at first and gradually increase resistance and speed;

d)   Week by week slowly build up the intensity of exercise sessions;

e)   Use proper equipment.

The most frequent injuries occurring doing sports are:

·      Contusion, wound or sprain;

·      Bone fractures of the radius and ulna (forearm), tibia and fibula (shin), femur (thigh) etc.;

·      Tear menisci or tear anterior cruciate ligament in the knee

·      Tear of rotator cuff tendon in the shoulder.

The most common sports that I see causing injuries which I receive in the IMTRA Clinic are:

·      Team sports like football, rugby, basketball, volleyball and handball;

·      Racket sports such as padel, tennis and squash;

·      Outdoor and adventure sports including mountain biking, fell running, rafting, sailing, kayaking, hiking and climbing;

·      Winter sports including skiing and snowboarding;

·      Long distance, half marathon and marathon running;

·      Track and filed athletics including running, long jump, high jump, hurdles, javelin and shot put;

·      Gymastics and dance.

The treatment of each lesion has to be evaluated by a competent professional. Sometimes the immobilization is enough but other times it is necessary to undergo surgical treatment for example through knee arthroscopy, repair of fracture, shoulder arthroscopy, etc.

Elena Miguel Poza - Nurse, nursing coordinator & trainer - Enfermera coordinadora y profesora de enfermería - IMTRA Instituto Madrileño de Traumatologia (Madrid Spain)
Tel: (0034) 915545405 Email: elena@imtra.es Web site in English: http://www.imtra.eu Web site in Spanish: www.imtra.biz