ortopèdia

Ortopédia, also known as orthopedics in Portuguese, is a medical specialty that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders of the musculoskeletal system, including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves. It addresses congenital deformities, developmental disorders, trauma and fractures, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors, and sports-related injuries. The goal is to restore function, reduce pain, and improve mobility and quality of life.

Practice areas and techniques: It includes pediatric orthopedics; spine; hand and upper extremity; knee, hip, and foot and ankle; sports medicine; orthopedic oncology; and deformity correction. Methods range from conservative treatments such as physical therapy, bracing, casting, analgesics, and anti-inflammatory medications, to surgical interventions like fracture fixation, joint replacement (arthroplasty), arthroscopy, spine surgery, limb-lengthening procedures, and corrective osteotomies. Multidisciplinary care and rehabilitation are central to most treatment plans.

History and training: The field's roots lie in the work of early surgeons who treated deformities, with the term orthopedics traced to 18th-century France. Today, practitioners complete medical degrees followed by residency in orthopedics, and may pursue subspecialty fellowships. Certification requirements vary by country but typically emphasize clinical experience, examinations, and ongoing education. Global practice ranges from high-resource centers to under-resourced settings, influencing access to surgical care and rehabilitation services.