Bone & Joint Surgery

Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology is a huge discipline, covering a variety of afflictions all over the human body, not limited to bone and joints, but also affecting tendons, muscles, nerves and peripheral vessels. This is the full title of the specialty, but it is equally known as Bone and Joint Surgery, which is also the title of the most prestigious orthopedic journal.

Undoubtedly, Orthopedics has a role in primary care, since the Orthopedic surgeon should address the whole musculoskeletal system, while keeping alert for other diseases, that may present with similar symptoms. Classic examples of potential diagnoses by an experienced Orthopedic surgeon are the dissecting aneurysm of the aorta and metastases along the spine, commonly presenting as “back pain”.

In the clinic at Drossia, every possible effort is made towards fully addressing each and every case, both diagnostically and therapeutically. With the use of General Electric’s LogicBook ultrasound system and the use of a linear head, suitable for muscles and vessels, the diagnosis may be aided in a number of musculoskeletal conditions. However, a more correct formulation is not setting the diagnosis, but confirming the already established clinical diagnosis, which traditionally results from taking the patient’s history and performing a thorough clinical examination. Patients who have already searched online for more information about their symptoms are more than welcome. On the other hand, patients who will try to convince the medical practitioner on the worth of their own opinion, not so much.

Using a dynamic plate, important information on gait and posture of the patient may be gathered and used to improve or even eliminate the underlying pathology, using specially made orthotic insoles to redistribute abnormal loading. Nevertheless, this “same” test may also be done in a variety of establishments. Hence, focus should be on combining history, clinical examination and the test results for the best possible outcome.

Minor operations, such as wound suturing as well as conservative fracture treatment are routinely performed. In the office, ultrasound-guided intra-articular injections are also performed in hard-to-reach joints, such as the hip in most patients or the knee in obese patients or when there has been previous surgical treatment with a consequent change in anatomy.

However, the main symptom for seeking medical assistance is pain and in the case of orthopedics, musculoskeletal pain. Successful pain management is an important goal before resorting to surgical methods. Acupuncture, either in its traditional Eastern form or in its Western – biomedical version, may help significantly without burdening the patient with adverse effects. Obviously, acupuncture is not powerful enough to reverse anatomical damage. Therefore, it is no alternative to surgery, when both modalities are properly used. Furthermore, it should not be reserved as a last resort in desperate cases, but it should be opted for from the very beginning whether in combination with pharmaceutical treatment or not.

The benefits of acupuncture are now officially recognized, since well-designed studies have shown statistically significant improvement in symptoms, range of motion and pain relief. Acupuncture is now considered part of evidence-based medicine, “Complementary Medicine” rather than “alternative therapy”, when performed by physicians with special training and combined with other therapeutic modalities.

Orthopedics is undoubtedly a surgical specialty. Therefore, when the patient’ s pathology may no longer be addressed conservatively, then operative treatment may follow, according to the patient’s wish.