Overview
Trauma and orthopaedic surgery involves treating traumatic, developmental and degenerative conditions of the musculoskeletal system and some tumours that affect bones and soft tissues. It combines medical and surgical skills with a problem-solving attitude where many innovative techniques are constantly being developed. It often appeals to people with a mechanical frame of mind and a flair for problem-solving.
As wide a range of patients imaginable are treated by orthopaedic surgeons. Paediatric orthopaedic surgery often involves correcting deformity or modulating bone and joint growth, which means you will be working in four dimensions.
Many elite athletes require orthopaedic surgery to enable them to return to sport after an injury, while facilitating the sporting endeavours of the average person is a form of preventative medicine.
The ageing population means that the number of people with fragility fractures or degenerative conditions is exponentially growing – replacing a painful joint must be one of the most rewarding procedures a doctor can perform.