Orthopedics is a term that refers to the surgical specialty involving the treatment of various bone conditions and diseases. Although doctors have attempted to treat deformed or broken bones and various bone diseases for several centuries, orthopedics as a modern specialty has primarily evolved throughout the 20th century.
Orthopedics in History
The term orthopedics is a combination of two Greek words: orthos and paideia. The latter refers to children and the former means to straighten. It is believed that this may be evidence that the first orthopedic doctors primarily practiced on children, possibly because of the tendency of children to experience injuries such as broken bones.
In 1780, the first orthopedic institute was established by Doctor Jean-Andre Venel. The facility dealt mainly with skeletal deformities in children. Venel is considered by some to be the first orthopedic surgeon.
Orthopedics as a specialty was first introduced in 1803 by Nicholas Andry, a French doctor. He primarily treated bone deformities in children, and also devoted time to those with broken or injured bones in an attempt to restore them to their previous state before the injury occurred. Andry also dedicated a substantial amount of time to research, during which he specifically searched for ways to prevent childhood deformities. His research is widely believed to have initiated what is now known as the modern study of orthopedics.
The first plaster of Paris cast was used in France in 1851 and was invented by Dutch military surgeon Antonius Mathysen. In 1933, Gerhard Küntscher of Germany pioneered the use of intra-medullary rods to treat tibia and femur fractures, and such procedures made a significant difference in the recovery time of injured soldiers during World War II.
Joint replacements were first introduced to the world in 1960 by English scientist Sir John Charnley, and by the mid 1980s such procedures were the most frequently performed orthopedic surgeries.
Modern Orthopedic Practice
Today’s modern orthopedists treat bone-related diseases and bone fractures. Orthopedists also treat those who are suffering from arthritis or sports injuries. Although trained and licensed as surgeons, orthopedists use both surgical and nonsurgical procedures, and teach patients preventative measures.
The American Board of Orthopedic Surgery reviews the case work of all orthopedic surgeons to gather statistical information. As of 2008, the most frequently performed surgical procedures were knee replacements, shoulder and knee arthroscopy–cartilage surgery–carpal tunnel procedures, and corrective surgeries involving thighbone fractures. In 2011, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistic stated that orthopedic surgery edged out all other types of surgical specialties in terms of popularity. The study of orthopedics will no doubt continue to evolve as advances are made in the world of science, and in the ever-changing field of medicine.