Orthopaedic Doctor Vs. Orthopaedic Surgeon: What is the difference?

Orthopaedics is a study focusing on the care and treatment of the skeletal system, bones, and the interconnecting parts that may get damaged as a result of injury or age-related wear and tear. There’s a fine line between a doctor and a surgeon, especially when within the same discipline. In case of orthopaedics, both an orthopaedic doctor and an orthopaedic surgeon can offer diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions. A primary care physician will recommend you to consult the most preferred specialist, depending on your specific injury or health issue, .

Read on to know more about the specialties of both healthcare professionals:

What does an orthopaedist do? 

An orthopaedist is a specialist that can perform diagnoses of any issues related to muscles, tendons, bones, and ligaments by conducting a physical examination or imaging test. The treatment offered by an orthopaedic doctor is not limited to medications or physical therapy, as they are trained to provide supportive care to patients through braces, splints, and casts, besides resetting bones when necessary. An expert orthopaedist can offer comprehensive pre-surgery consultation and help with the follow-up after surgery.

Some tests suggested by orthopaedists include;

• An X-ray or an ultrasound
• An MRI or CT scan
• A Bone scan
• Various blood tests

What does an orthopaedic surgeon do? 

Wondering if visiting an orthopaedic surgeon can bring you under the knife, then you are absolutely wrong! In terms of treatment, an orthopaedic surgeon can provide the same care as an orthopaedist. Exploring non-surgical options is the first line of treatment to resolve any musculoskeletal issues but if required, a surgeon can perform surgery on hips, knees, feet, ankles, shoulders, elbows, hands, or the spine, to relieve patients suffering from conditions such as ruptured discs, spinal stenosis, bone tumors, arthritis, sports injuries, and much more.

Some surgeries performed by orthopaedic surgeons are:

• Arthroscopy: A process where small incisions are made to set a tiny camera for monitoring the joint during the surgery
• Fusion: A surgical process where metal rods or devices are implanted to fuse bones
• Internal fixation: As the name implies, certain elements such as plates, screws, or pins are used to hold broken pieces of bones together
• Joint replacement: An artificial implant (ceramic, metal, or high quality plastic) is used to replace damaged joints in both the partial or total replacement process
• Osteotomy: A crucial surgical procedure in which bones are cut or repositioned to correct bone deformities
• Soft tissue repair: In this process, a surgeon will work on repairing damaged tendons and ligaments around the joint bone

Who to see: an orthopaedist or an orthopaedic surgeon?

If you experience excruciating pain due to arthritis, or any other condition, visiting an orthopaedist can help you determine corrective preventive measures. After a thorough diagnosis, the specialist can even provide you pain management shots and medications or refer you for physical therapy. In case of injury or chronic inflammatory conditions, surgery is considered the best route of treatment.

If you have been injured, or are going through tormenting pain, then replacement surgeries can resolve the issue immediately. Nowadays, replacement treatments performed through minimally invasive techniques offer quick and seamless recovery to patients. A qualified orthopaedic surgeon can carry out the procedure and provide the most suitable rehabilitation after evaluating the patient’s overall condition.

Final Thoughts

Orthopaedics is a broader medical specialty, where both orthopaedics physician and surgeon have an equally important role in providing effective treatment. However, with physicians, the treatment limits to non-surgical methods, whereas orthopaedic surgeons can help in alleviating chronic pain and discomfort of complex musculoskeletal conditions or injuries.