Orthopedics—both the word and the practice—correct musculoskeletal deformities. They can help you get back to work, to play with your kids or grandkids, and to the activities you love.
Your primary care doctor may refer you to an orthopedic specialist, or you can search for one yourself. Look for board certification and an accredited fellowship.
Bones
Bones are the body’s main form of structural support. Like the frame under the walls of a house, they keep us upright when we’re standing and moving, and protect our internal organs, such as the brain in our skull and the lungs in our ribcage.
Our skeleton contains about 270 bones, including long bones (which have a thin, long shape) and short bones (which have a squat, cubed shape). Most of our bones are joined together by joints that open and close like hinges or allow side-to-side movement, such as shoulder and hip joints. Other bones, such as those in the wrists and ankles, have flat joints that don’t move.
Bones also serve other important functions, such as storing minerals and producing bone marrow, which produces blood cells and other vital substances. Bone density is a critical determinant of bone health and strength, and low bone density increases the risk for fractures.
Joints
A joint is where two or more bones come together to allow movement. The joints of the body are designed to bear weight and move the body, using muscles for force generation. They are mainly classified structurally and functionally.
Structural classification includes ball-and-socket, saddle, hinge, and condyloid joints. Functionally, the movements that occur in freely movable joints are approximation, flexion, extension, and rotation.
If you have problems with your joints, an orthopedic doctor can diagnose the problem and recommend treatment. This could include medications, physical therapy, or surgery. Maintaining your bone and joint health is vital to a good quality of life. With a few tweaks to your lifestyle and regular visits to an orthopedic doctor, you can improve the function of your joints and prevent pain.
Muscles
Muscles are essential to every move you make, and your bones and joints depend on them for support and stability. But injuries to tendons, ligaments and muscles (called sprains or strains) happen often. When they do, a doctor who specializes in the musculoskeletal system — also known as an orthopedist — is the best choice to diagnose and treat the injury.
Skeletal muscles are the ones that you can consciously control. When your brain tells them to contract, they shorten and pull one bone towards another across a joint. They usually work in pairs, such as the flexor muscle at the front of your arm and the extensor muscle at the back of your arm. The flexor muscle bends your elbow, while the extensor straightens it.
Spine
The spine consists of 33 vertebrae that protect the spinal cord and allow for movement. Between each vertebrae are small joints called facet joints with a cartilage surface that help you move your back and neck. When these joints get arthritis or injured, it can cause low back pain.
If you have arthritis, an orthopedist can prescribe medicine and physical therapy to treat it. They can also do joint injections to ease pain.잠실정형외과
If you have a severe injury, your primary care doctor may refer you to an orthopedic specialist or you can find one on your own. When you make an appointment, be sure to bring any medical records or tests that you have. Your doctor will review your history and symptoms to diagnose your condition.
Tendons
Tendons connect muscle to bone and allow muscles to transmit force into the bones that they attach to, resulting in movement. When tendons become injured they often swell and feel warm and tender. They may also produce a crunchy sound or feeling when moved. If a tendon injury is not treated quickly it can lead to severe pain and permanent damage.
Tendons are made of tough, fibrous cord-like tissues called collagen. The tendons have blood vessels and cells that maintain the health of the tendons. The tendons can adapt to mechanical loading by modifying their structure and composition. These early adaptive responses may influence and lead to long-term changes in the cellular components of the tendon.강동역정형외과