Orthopedic (or orthopaedic) surgery is any surgical procedure that involves the musculoskeletal system. This includes bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and cartilage. Originally, orthopedic surgery was referenced only in the abnormal development of children and how to best help them overcome any functional issues they had.
These days, orthopedic surgery is considered a cornerstone of modern medicine and has expanded to include anyone suffering from a medical condition involving the skeleton or musculature.
Orthopedic surgeons specialize in correcting mechanical and functional issues present in bones, muscles and connective tissue.
Orthopedic surgeons typically undergo a four year pre-med degree at university, followed by an additional four years of medical school. Once they have graduated, they spend another four to five years in residency at a hospital to hone their skills and knowledge in orthopedics. Every orthopedic surgeon is extremely skilled in their field and takes the utmost care with their patients to ensure a smooth recovery.
Most orthopedic surgeries are performed under anesthesia due to their invasive nature- but anesthesia can include general anesthesia, regional blocks (spinal, regional nerve blocks), or local (administering an injectable anesthetic directly into the surgical site) combined with sedation (administering IV medications for sedation and comfort). Examples of surgeries that orthopedic surgeons perform include resetting broken bones, reattaching torn ligaments and muscles, installing metal plates to improve stability or healing, and replacing worn out joints such as hips or knees.
Orthopedic surgery covers a wide range of conditions and many different types of patients may need to meet with an orthopedic surgeon.
Anyone suffering from a broken bone, from the spine to the leg, may need to have surgery to correct it. Sports injuries are common causes for needing orthopedic surgery, as torn ligaments and muscles are relatively common in contact sports. Age is another factor when looking at orthopedic surgery, as joints can wear down over time and require replacing, especially hips and knees.
Some cases can be helped with physical therapy before having to make the decision to proceed with invasive orthopedic surgery. Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital has a well established Physical Therapy department that can assist with any patient whose conditions do not yet require surgery.
Before you head into the operating theater, there will be extensive diagnostics and assessments run to ensure all issues are treated effectively and that your recovery time can be as fast as possible.
You will have a consultation with your orthopedic surgeon, who will ask you a range of questions relating to your pain levels, mobility, and overall quality of life. You will likely be asked to get x-rays, MRIs, or ultrasounds so that the doctors can understand fully what is happening in the problem area and can create an action plan accordingly.
You may also be asked for blood tests or biopsies to determine levels of certain important nutrients and compounds in your body prior to surgery to ensure you will be fit enough to recover. A detailed patient history will also be collected to ensure any allergies or past negative reactions to medications are avoided.
Recovery time for orthopedic surgery can vary significantly based on how extensive the surgery was, your age, overall health, and if there are any complicating factors.
For example, a standard knee replacement may only take 30 to 45 minutes of actual surgery, but standard recovery times are usually between four to six weeks. This is because of the invasiveness of the surgery and the high number of different factors involved in the healing process.
On the other hand, a surgery such as a shoulder reconstruction can take up to six months to fully regain proper use of the joint. This surgery is much more complex and involves a larger area of the body with more musculature, and so complete recovery is a time consuming process.
Overall a typical recovery period for an orthopedic surgery is generally around six weeks. You do not want to rush recovering from these kinds of surgeries, as it may impact your ability to regain normal function in the future.
Cynthia Rubert, MD, FAAOS, is a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon with fellowship training in Orthopedic Oncology with 30 years of experience. She specializes in treatment of multiple orthopedic conditions including arthritis, injuries, fracture care/trauma and surgical management of musculoskeletal tumors. Surgical procedures include joint replacement (hip, knee, shoulder, wrist/hand), fracture care, sports related injuries and conditions of the upper and lower extremities.
She is a native of Michigan who pursued her medical degree and Orthopedic surgery training in Milwaukee Wisconsin. She completed her Orthopedic fellowship training in Washington D.C. She returned to Michigan in 1999 to be closer to family and provide care to rural communities. She is married and has a son. Her interests include outdoor activities (skiing, hiking, biking, kayaking and fishing). Additional interests include architecture, art and music.
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Josh Hood joined the Orthopedic Team at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital in 2023. Josh is a native of Newberry Michigan. He went on to obtain his undergraduate degree from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids. During that time, he worked at multiple nursing homes as a CNA. He then completed his physician assistant schooling through GVSU. He attended the satellite campus in Traverse City because it was structured around rural health care and he wanted to return to the U.P. after completing his master’s degree. All of his clinical period of PA school was spent in the U.P. and was fortunate enough to have three different rotations at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital.
He enjoys fishing, snowmobiling, four wheeling, golfing and pretty much anything else that involves being outdoors!
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Everyone in the ambulatory care/outpatient surgery were great!! They all made me feel very comfortable and did a great job!!! thank you to the whole outpatient staff and Doctor Rayner..I would recommend Schoolcraft or patient to anyone in need of surgery
Reviewer: Jeremy Sitkoski
out of 5 stars
The care that was provided by The nurses (Cindy, Felicia Ruth) and staff was exceptional. The entire staff was very friendly and made you feel welcome. We received a call from Felicia the next day to check on my husband to check his pain level and do a follow up. The surgery area from check in to check out was well organized, clean, and up to date. Thank you to all of you for what you do so well and everything beyond your normal duties.
Reviewer: Maureen DesChamps
5 out of 5 stars
906-341-3200 
