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What is Orthopedic Trauma?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Orthopedic trauma is a severe injury to part of the musculoskeletal system, such as bones, joints, or ligaments. In some cases, it presents a life-threatening medical emergency, while in others, it is in need of urgent attention but the patient is not in imminent danger. Treatment usually requires the services of an orthopedic surgeon and can require an orthopedic trauma specialist, someone who focuses on caring for patients in need of critical attention because of serious injuries.

Car accidents are a common cause of orthopedic trauma. People can also sustain trauma in slips, falls, and industrial accidents. Immediate risks for patients can include bleeding out if major arteries are involved or are close to the trauma site, going into shock from pain and blood loss, and injury to internal organs caused by fractured bones or crush injuries. When a patient presents at a hospital or on the scene of an accident with orthopedic trauma, a quick assessment is performed to determine the extent of the trauma and develop a treatment plan.

Management of orthopedic trauma usually requires surgery.
Management of orthopedic trauma usually requires surgery.

People with severe musculoskeletal injuries commonly have other injuries related to the trauma and these must be evaluated and treated at the same time. Treating a patient's broken femur while ignoring a head injury, for example, would put the patient in significant danger. Sometimes, the most obvious wound is not the most serious one. An examination, medical imaging studies, and monitoring of the patient are needed to identify all the injuries and triage them in order of importance to increase the chances of surviving through treatment.

Orthopedic trauma caused by slips, falls, car and other accidents often require immediate surgical treatment.
Orthopedic trauma caused by slips, falls, car and other accidents often require immediate surgical treatment.

Management of orthopedic trauma usually requires a surgery. In surgery, the site of the trauma will be probed to remove any foreign objects and irrigated to clean it. The bone will be set and may be fastened with rods, screws, and other devices if is heavily damaged. A cast may be applied to fix the bone in place or the patient may need to wear slings and other devices while the bone heals if a cast is not feasible. While the patient is under anesthesia, treatment for other injuries may be offered as well by members of a surgical team.

Orthopedic trauma may necessitate the use of a back brace.
Orthopedic trauma may necessitate the use of a back brace.

Recovery from orthopedic trauma can take weeks or months, in the case of severe fractures and large bones. The patient may need physical therapy to develop muscle strength and flexibility. Follow-up X-rays and exams are used to monitor the progress of healing and identify complications like infections, inflammation, or nonunion, where bones do not knit back together after being set.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

aLFredo

@runner101 - That's interesting that you saw that on television! I have heard and read the same as you wrote - that being a orthopedic surgeon of trauma is more physically demanding.

What I read was that these surgeons can be using physical force as they use mallets and sometimes bone saws on their patients.

Not a job for the faint at heart I would say! But just because someone is an orthopedic surgeon it does not mean they work with these types of traumas, there are quite a few other orthopedic surgeon specialties such as hand surgery.

runner101

I became interested in this type of trauma after watching a TV show where they regularly showed orthopedic surgeries being done.

It seems like it would take a special someone to work on this type of trauma secondary to it being portrayed as a physically demanding type of surgery?

Is it as physically demanding as they portray it on the tv shows?

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    • Management of orthopedic trauma usually requires surgery.
      By: fivepointsix
      Management of orthopedic trauma usually requires surgery.
    • Orthopedic trauma caused by slips, falls, car and other accidents often require immediate surgical treatment.
      By: jamstockfoto
      Orthopedic trauma caused by slips, falls, car and other accidents often require immediate surgical treatment.
    • Orthopedic trauma may necessitate the use of a back brace.
      By: Syda Productions
      Orthopedic trauma may necessitate the use of a back brace.
    • Adequate assessment of a car accident victim's injuries is important, as the most obvious injury may not be the most serious one.
      By: corepics
      Adequate assessment of a car accident victim's injuries is important, as the most obvious injury may not be the most serious one.
    • Orthopedic trauma in the legs, hip or back can severely limit mobility until it is fully healed, especially in older adults.
      By: Fotoluminate LLC
      Orthopedic trauma in the legs, hip or back can severely limit mobility until it is fully healed, especially in older adults.
    • After orthopedic surgery, a patient may be required to use a walker while rehabilitating.
      By: Tyler Olson
      After orthopedic surgery, a patient may be required to use a walker while rehabilitating.
    • A patient who has sustained orthopedic trauma may require physical therapy to develop muscle strength and flexibility.
      By: Andres Rodriguez
      A patient who has sustained orthopedic trauma may require physical therapy to develop muscle strength and flexibility.
    • Car accidents are a common cause of orthopedic trauma.
      By: Tom Wang
      Car accidents are a common cause of orthopedic trauma.