Callie holds Joan Paulson's neck stable as they move her to the OR for surgery
Orthopedic surgery is a surgical specialty concerned with conditions involving bones and muscle (the musculoskeletal system) performing surgery on joints (hips, knees, elbows, shoulders), the spine and hands to treat trauma, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors, and congenital conditions. This specialty has strong links with trauma surgery and emergency medicine and is practiced mainly in the ER and the OR.
Surgeons practicing this specialty are known as orthopedic surgeons. However, colloquially, orthopedic surgeons are also known as orthopods.
Sub-Specialties[]
Orthopedic Sports Medicine is a surgical sub-speciality of orthopedic surgery that focuses on the health of an athlete through investigation, preservation, and restoration by medical, surgical, and rehabilitative means to all structures of the musculoskeletal system affected by athletic activity.
Notable Orthopedic Surgeons[]
- Dr. Callie Torres (former Head of Orthopedic Surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital)
- Dr. Chang (former Head of Orthopedic Surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital)
- Dr. Carlson (Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital)
- Dr. Garrity (Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital)
- Dr. Kenton Giles (Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Portland General Hospital)
- Dr. Dan Miller (Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital)
- Dr. Atterman (Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital)[1]
- Dr. Eliza Minnick (former Attending Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital)
- Dr. Atticus Lincoln (Head of Orthopedic Surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital)
- Dr. Nico Kim (Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital)
Notes and Trivia[]
- Out of all orthopedic surgeons, only 4% are women.
- Orthopedic surgeons are often disparaged as "carpenters".
- Orthopods is a term regularly used by the @GreysMedical and @ZoanneClack twitter accounts. Meredith has been known to use the term once so far.
- Orthopedic surgery is typically a residency integrated with a first-year in general surgery, however, some orthopedic surgeons take ortho surgery as a fellowship and train fully as a general surgeon.
- Eliza Minnick and Nico Kim are examples of this.
- Eliza Minnick is also the only known orthopedic surgeon on staff with an FACS designation because she completed a general surgery residency.