It was Dr. Nicho las Andry, a French surgeon, who coined the word ‘ Orthopedic ‘ when he wrote his book ‘Orthopedie’ or ‘The Art of Correcting and Preventing Deformities in Children’ in the year 1741. The word ‘Orthopedic’ actually comes from t he Greek words ‘ orthos’ meaning straight and ‘ paidion’ meaning c hild.

It was in the 1960s-1970s that modern orthopedics took birth, especially after the contributions of Hugh Owen Thomas. Finally, intramedullary fixations were being done without opening up the fracture. This technology was popularized by the Harborview Medical Center in the Seattle group in the late 1970s. Modern hip and joint replacement The next big step in the evolution of orthopedics was joints and hip replacement which took place in the year 1960 by Sir John Charnley, an expert in tribology at Wrightington Hospital in England.

There are some conditions where the patient is forced to undergo orthopedic surgery. Orthopedic surgical procedures can help address issues like anterior cruciate ligament tear, medial collateral ligament tear, posterior cruciate ligament tear, worn knees, arthritis, and cuff tears. Surgeries may also be recommended for hip replacement and joint repositioning.

Recent advancements in orthopedics made it clear that the lesser the tissues are handled in surgical intervention , the lesser run the risks of infections as well as shock for the tissue, which makes recovery a quicker process . The overall outcome of the patients is also better.   Advancements in the early 20 th century In the beginning of 20 th century , the technology to manufacture the small sized instruments and other equipment was not available.

The world of orthopedics has seen revolutionary advancements right from the very beginning. In fact, many discoveries of the mid-20th century reached fruition in the early 21st century. One such discovery is what is called Bone Matrix Protein or BMP. In 1965 , Dr. Marshall Urist, M . D ., discovered that decalcified bone matrix induced new bone growth.

One’s decision to undergo any major orthopedic surgery is a vital one and not to be trifled with. The rest of one’s life depends on the outcome of the surgery. So, what are the elements that go in making the outcome of the surgery a desired one? The first and foremost thing to check up on is the surgeon who is going to undertake the replacement treatment; thereafter, comes the device that is going to be used, the hospital where the operation is to be conducted, and the trust, rapport and comfort level you have with the surgeon and the support staff.