Chapter 29 Orthopedic
. BONES AND THEIR STRUCTURE
Divisions of the Skeleton
• Axial Skeleton
• Skull
• Spinal column
• Rib cage
• Appendicular Skeleton
• Upper extremities
• Lower extremities
Types of Bones
• Long Bones
• Diaphysis – long shaft
• Epiphyses – ends
• Bone Tissue
• Cortical (Compact) – dense, strong outer layer
• Cancellous (Spongy) – porous, located inside epiphyses and flat bones
⸻
2. BONE LANDMARKS
Purpose
• Serve as attachment sites for muscles and tendons
• Provide passageways for nerves and blood vessels
• Help identify joint surfaces and structural features
Common Landmarks
• Condyle – rounded articular surface
• Crest – prominent ridge
• Foramen – opening for vessels/nerves
• Process – projection from a bone
• Fossa – shallow depression
• Neck – narrowed region near head of bone
• Tubercle – small rounded bump
• Tuberosity – larger roughened bump
⸻
3. JOINTS
Classification by Movement
• Synarthrosis – immovable (e.g., skull sutures)
• Amphiarthrosis – slightly movable (e.g., pubic symphysis)
• Diarthrosis – freely movable (major limb joints)
Synovial Joints (Diarthrodial)
• Features:
• Articular cartilage
• Joint capsule
• Synovial membrane + synovial fluid
• Purpose: Lubrication, shock absorption, smooth movement
Joint Mobility – Types of Movable Joints
• Hinge – elbow, knee
• Saddle – thumb (CMC joint)
• Gliding – wrist, ankle
• Ball-and-socket – shoulder, hip
• Pivot – atlas/axis in neck
• Condyloid – wrist (radiocarpal joint)
⸻
4. SOFT CONNECTIVE TISSUES & JOINT CONDITIONS
Common Soft-Tissue Injuries
• Tears / ruptures of tendons, muscles, or ligaments
• Repaired using:
• Sutures
• Suture-anchor systems
Joint Pathology
• Age-related degeneration
• Trauma
• Autoimmune disorders (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis)
• Osteoarthritis – most common degenerative joint disease
⸻
5. ORTHOPEDIC PATHOLOGY
Important Terms
• Fracture – break in bone continuity
• Rupture – complete tear
• Avulsion – tissue pulled off attachment site
• Overuse injury – repetitive strain
Fracture Classification
Based on:
• Location
• Pattern
• Comminution (how many pieces)
• Displacement
Types of Fractures
• Transverse – straight across
• Oblique – angled
• Spiral – torsion force
• Impacted – ends driven together
• Comminuted – multiple fragments
• Open (compound) – bone breaks skin
• Greenstick – incomplete (common in kids)
• Depressed – bone pushed inward
• Pathological – due to disease (e.g., tumors, osteoporosis)
⸻
6. FRACTURE REPAIR PROCESSES
Reduction (Alignment)
• Closed reduction – manipulation without incision
• Open reduction – surgical exposure of bone
Fixation (Stabilization)
• Internal fixation – plates, screws, rods
• External fixation – casts, external frames
⸻
7. ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY CASE PLANNING
Important Factors
• Correct surgical approach
• Instruments and implants required
• Awareness of special tables (e.g., fracture table)
• Appropriate patient positioning
• Supine, prone, lateral
• Positioning devices as needed
⸻
8. HEMOSTASIS IN ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY
Methods
• Pneumatic tourniquets – control blood flow to extremities
• Hemostatic agents (e.g., bone putty) – reduce bone bleeding
Infection Prevention
• Laminar airflow systems
• Sterile helmet systems
• Strict sterile technique
⸻
9. DRESSINGS AND CASTING
Dressings
• Protect incision
• Absorb drainage
• Provide stability
Casting
• Plaster or synthetic casts
• Used for immobilization
• Risk: compartment syndrome – medical emergency
⸻
10. POWER EQUIPMENT IN ORTHOPEDICS
Devices
• Drills – for screws
• Saws – for bone cutting
• Must understand:
• Correct attachments
• Safety principles
⸻
11. ORTHOPEDIC IMPLANTS (must not be processed using immediate-use steam sterilization- except in extreme emergency )
Materials
• Stainless steel
• Titanium alloys
• Bioactive materials for grafting
Documentation
• Implant tracking for patient safety (lot numbers, serial numbers)
Bone Grafting
• Types:
• Autograft
• Allograft
• Synthetic grafts
• Mechanisms:
• Osteogenesis
• Osteoinduction
• Osteoconduction
⸻
12. SUTURES & SUTURE DEVICES
Soft Tissue Repair
• Uses primarily nonabsorbable materials in orthopedics
• Modern devices:
• Suture anchors
• Barbed sutures
• High-strength materials
⸻
13. COMMON ORTHOPEDIC SURGICAL PROCEDURES
Includes detailed approaches & considerations for:
• Shoulder surgeries (rotator cuff repair, labrum repairs)
• Fracture repairs (ORIF, external fixation)
• Knee arthroplasty (TKA)
• Hip procedures
• Arthroscopy
Type of Plates
Reconstruction Plate - bent to fit the contours of the bone surface, aluminum template , commonly used in pelvic and in cranial and fascial trauma
locking plate- threaded screw holes that lock the screws into the plate,
dynamic compression plate - provides reduction and compression of the fragments
low-contact dynamic - is designed to reduce contact between the plate and the bone—
tension band plate —- provides a mechanical advantage in the fixation of the long bones—
buttress plate — is a supporting structure that prevents an adjoining object or structure from collapsing ( in orthopedic — is used to give added strength
condylar plate - used in conjunction with compression screws for the fixation of fractures of the condyle ( rounded end of the a long bone )
intertrochanteric nail and plate combination - jewett nail - two primary pieces —- lag screw , locking plate
intramedullary nail or rod - provide structure support from the inside of the bone ( fractures of femur, tibia and humerus ( long bones )
modular rod and pin fixation - used for external stabilization of a fracture.
Procedures -
Bankart (open ) - glenoid rim is reattached to the joint capsule with a biosynthetic or other anchoring device : path - the tearing or separation of the labrum from the joint capsule
Rotator cuff repair - ( tendons are attached to the humerus with sutures or anchor-suturing devices ) one or more tendons may be damaged due to traumatic injury or recurrent dislocation of shoulder
total shoulder arthroplasty - humeral head and glenoid capsule are replaced with artificial components to restore function and relieve pain (osteoarthritis )
hemiarthroplasty - only humeral component used
open reduction internal fixation of forearm ( -functional joint )usually repaired using dynamic compression plate (closed reduction - external fixation applied for children only )
open reduction and internal fixation of the wrist - scaphoid most common sire of a wrist fracture -
release dupuytren contracture - constricted palmar fascia is incised and released to restore mobility to the hand and fingers ( contracts )
femoral neck fracture - ( trochanteric fracture - compression screw and plate system ) Femoral neck fracture - dynamic compression screws ) displaced fracture - arhtoplasty
Hip ( total ) arthoplasty - replaced diseased components of hip joint , path - to treat osteoarthritis, osteonecrosis, acetabular, femoral, avascular necrosis
fracture of the pelvis - open reduction
arthroscopic menisectomy - may be partial or complete - leave the medial rim of the structure to share load bearing and stabilize the knee
cruciate ligament repair - restore the stability of the joint, graft taken from central portion of patellar tendon to replace torn ACL
triple arthrodesis - removing cartilage from each joint ( bone grafts or biosynthetic graft used)
bunionectomy - to alleviate pain and increase patient immobility ( path - deformity of the first metatarsal head )