Orthopedic Trauma & Surgery

What Is Orthopedic Trauma?

Orthopedic trauma typically refers to an injury caused by some external force, such as a severe fall, a serious accident, or even a violent attack. These injuries occur in the musculoskeletal system, including bones, cartilage, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons of the body. Common injuries include fractures, ligament tears, tendon tears, and joint dislocations.

Orthopedic trauma can affect anyone. It is essential that you have any break, fracture, tear, and dislocation treated by an orthopedic trauma specialist as soon as possible after the injury to ensure that you heal properly.

Treatments and Surgery

Orthopedic trauma patients may undergo surgical or non-surgical treatment, depending on the injury. Surgery may be required for more serious injuries, but those that are less extensive may only require minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery that can be done on an outpatient basis. Non-surgical methods such as casts or braces may also be incorporated into a treatment plan.

In addition to treating traumatic injuries when they occur, orthopedic specialists and surgeons treat chronic lasting after-effects of traumatic injuries, including:

Fractures that did not heal (nonunions) or are delayed in healing
Bone or joint conditions resulting from fractures that did not heal in the correct alignment (malunions)
Joint deformity from arthritis
Infections

Multidisciplinary Trauma Care

Orthopedic trauma patients often sustain injuries to other parts of their bodies. At the Mount Sinai Health System, our orthopedic specialists consult with other doctors, including:

Trauma surgeons
General surgeons
Neurosurgeons
Vascular surgeons
Plastic surgeons
Urologists

Through these collaborations, our doctors make sure that you receive comprehensive, state-of-the-art care to treat all of your injuries. Our goal in treating your traumatic orthopedic injury is to get you back to your pre-injury condition: pain free and able to move with ease.

Learn more about our expert team of orthopedic trauma surgeons, serving a variety of locations in the New York City area.