Nature of the work
Trauma and orthopaedic surgery deals primarily with injuries, congenital and acquired disorders of the bones, and joints and their associated soft tissues, including ligaments, nerves and muscles.
Working in trauma and orthopaedic surgery
Most consultants contribute to an emergency trauma workload dealing with bony and soft tissue injuries admitted through their local A & E departments. The vast majority of trauma and orthopaedic surgeons also have a specialist elective interest in orthopaedic conditions, often based on an anatomical region of the body including the following:
lower limb joint reconstruction (hip and knee replacements and associated procedures)
hip surgery
knee surgery (bony and soft tissue)
ankle and foot
upper limb (shoulder and elbow)
upper limb (hands)
spine
bone tumour surgery
the surgery of childhood
rheumatoid surgery
complex trauma surgery.
Some of these surgeons have very highly specialised practices in one of these areas and a few do not take part in general trauma surgery.
