What are the Most Common Types of Orthopedic Surgeries?

When you suffer an injury to your musculoskeletal system, you may have to undergo orthopedic surgery. This type of surgery includes operations that are performed on any part of the musculoskeletal system, which is made up of your bones, ligaments, joints, muscles, and tendons. The different types of orthopedic surgeries can be divided into three different categories. Minimally invasive arthroscopic surgeries now compete with traditional approaches because they may offer faster recovery times and less pain.

Here are some of the most common types of orthopedic procedures.

• Joint replacement procedures. Joint replacement orthopedic procedures are used to replace damaged joints with prosthetics. They are among the most commonly performed types of orthopedic surgeries. Common types of these surgeries include knee and hip replacement procedures. Patients who are undergoing joint replacement surgeries must be closely monitored for complications because these surgeries have a high amount of risk, including the risk that the implants will fail or that the materials that are used to make the implant will leach out into the bloodstream and cause a toxic complication that is called metallosis.
• Revision of the joint. If you have an existing implant that fails, your doctor may have to remove it and implant a new device. Revision joint surgeries are commonly necessary when patients have received defective implants or when their older implants fail. Over time, the components of the implanted joint may loosen or suffer from wear, resulting in the need for revision surgery.
• Debridement. Debridement is a type of procedure that is used when tissue death has happened. The affected tissue or bone will need to be excised from the body before it can properly heal. During a debridement procedure, the area will be thoroughly cleaned before all of the necrotic and hyperkeratotic tissues are removed.
• Spinal fusion surgery. Spinal fusion surgery is a procedure in which adjoining vertebrae are fused together. This type of procedure is meant to give more stability to the spine or to repair the damage that has occurred. Spinal fusion surgery may be performed in several regions of the vertebral column, including the cervical spine, thoracic spine, and the lumbar spine.
• Bone fusion surgery. Bone fusions are similar to spinal fusions. Bone fusion surgeries are used to graft tissues so that fractured bones are fused together, allowing them to heal. Bone fusion surgeries may be used when people have suffered fractures in other areas of the body and are especially common when people have suffered compound fractures in their legs or arms.
• Repair of soft tissue. Soft tissue repair procedures are focused on torn tendons or ligaments. These might include cartilage resections, tendon transfers, muscle repairs, and ligament reconstructions.
• Internal bone fixations. In internal bone fixation procedures, fragments of bone are kept in place by using screws, pins, or plates. The fixation helps them to heal. Some people will have the devices left in place permanently.
• Osteotomy. Osteotomy is a type of orthopedic surgery that is used to correct deformities of the bone. It is frequently used to correct deformities in children so that they can grow properly.

While many areas of the musculoskeletal system may need orthopedic surgery at some point in time, there are some areas of the body that more commonly require a procedure. Some of the common bodily areas that may need orthopedic procedures to include the following:

• Wrists - Common wrist surgeries include surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome or to repair fractures of the distal radius.
• Ankles - Frequently occurring in sports, ankle injuries that require surgeries are also common in workplace accidents in falls from heights or during slips, trips, and falls.
• Hips - Many people undergo hip procedures to replace the hip joint or to repair the femoral neck or a trochanteric fracture.
• Spine - The most common types of spinal surgeries include spinal fusions, laminectomies, and intervertebral disc repairs.
• Shoulders - Arthroscopic procedures may be used to repair damage to the rotator cuff, excise the distal clavicle, or to decompress the shoulder.
• Knees - Knee surgeries often involve procedures to repair the ACL and the MCL or to replace the knee.

A majority of orthopedic surgeries either are performed using traditional methods or through arthroscopic techniques. Occasionally, open surgery will be required, but most orthopedic procedures fall into either the traditional orthopedic procedure or the arthroscopic procedure category. Traditional procedures are more invasive and may require significantly longer periods of recovery as compared to arthroscopic procedures. This is because more incisions must be made to the areas of the body where the surgeries are performed.

Arthroscopic surgeries are not as invasive. However, they still carry risks. You can still experience complications caused by surgical errors or infections at the surgical site.

Musculoskeletal injuries frequently happen in injury accidents, including motor vehicle collisions and slip and fall cases. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that an estimated 20% of all falls that happen each year result in a serious injury such as a fracture. All types of motor vehicle accidents also frequently result in musculoskeletal injuries that require orthopedic surgeries, including joint injuries, fractures, soft tissue injuries, and spinal injuries. If you have suffered an injury in an accident that requires orthopedic surgery, the attorneys at the Law Offices of Steven M. Sweat may help you to recover compensation to pay for your treatment and for your other losses. We are also able to refer you to leading medical specialists so that you can determine the treatment options that might work the best for you.

Our lawyers are well-versed in the different types of orthopedic surgeries and the potential impacts that these types of injuries and procedures can have on your life. We understand what the recovery process is like after an orthopedic procedure as well as the potential complications that you might experience in the future. We work closely together with medical experts who can help the insurance company or jury to understand the extent and severity of your injuries and the resulting losses that you have suffered because of your accident. This can help to increase the amount of compensation that you might ultimately recover in a settlement or in a verdict award. We are focused on helping our injured plaintiffs to recover full compensation for their losses that have resulted from the negligent or wrongful actions of others.

Following a motor vehicle accident or a slip-and-fall accident that has resulted in serious injuries, it is important for you to seek legal help. Our experienced team of attorneys may thoroughly investigate your case so that we can gather all of the evidence we need to build a strong case for you.

After we have gathered information about your accident, we can analyze what happened and provide you with an honest assessment of your potential claim and your likelihood of recovery. We can talk to you about your options and how we might be able to help you. We offer free consultations, and if we cannot collect compensation for you, you will not have to pay for our legal advice and time. Contact the Law Offices of Steven M. Sweat today to schedule your consultation so that you can learn more about the options that might be available to you.