What is orthopaedic surgery and traumatology?
The Traumatology and Orthopaedic Surgery Service is one of the referral services at Vithas hospitals. Treatments offered by this unit range from large and small joint treatment to polytrauma and minimally invasive surgical procedures.
At Vithas we provide multidisciplinary care and we have specialists in the knee, back, joints of the upper and lower limbs, the locomotor system and paediatric traumatology. This speciality also collaborates with other services such as diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, rheumatology, sports medicine and neurosurgery to ensure we deliver comprehensive, personalised care.
All surgical procedures are performed by a team of expert professionals in the surgical unit, offering patients the utmost in safety and professionalism.
Which patients is it for?
Orthopaedic surgery and traumatology deals with the clinical assessment, diagnosis, prevention, surgical treatment and adequate rehabilitation for patients with congenital and acquired diseases, deformities and traumatic and non-traumatic functional alterations of the locomotor system and its associated structures.
Main conditions and diseases
- Knee: meniscal pathology, cruciate ligaments, etc.
- Shoulder: rotator cuff pathology, recurrent dislocations, etc.
- Hip: femoro-acetabular impingement, lumbrosis, etc.
- Ankle: osteochondral lesions, anterior impingement, etc.
- Elbow: osteochondral lesions, nodular villous synovitis, etc.
- Wrist: triangular ligament conditions, chondral lesions, etc.
- Other common conditions: halluxvalgus (bunions), calcaneal spur, claw hand, metatarsalgia
- Hip prosthesis or arthroplasty
- Knee prosthesis or arthroplasty
- Shoulder prosthesis or arthroplasty
- Prosthesis replacement
- Surgical pathology in athletes
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Dupuytren’s contracture
- Trigger fingers
- Treatment of traumatic pathology: fractures, dislocations, sequelae, etc.
- Lumbar or cervical arthrodesis
- Lumbar or cervical discectomies
- Complex fractures
- Incipient and degenerative osteoarthritis
- Pertrochanteric bursitis
- Arthritis
- Tendinitis
- Meniscus injuries
- Tumours
Main diagnostic resources and technology
- Arthrocentesis
- Radiography
- 3 Tesla magnetic resonance
- Multi-slice CT scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Computed tomography (CT) scan
- Vertebral biopsy
- Electrophysiological tests
Main treatments
- Large joint arthroscopy
- Small joint arthroscopy:
- Prosthetic and reconstruction surgery
- Foot and forefoot surgery
- Percutaneous or minimally invasive surgery
- Arthroscopic surgery
- Prosthetic surgery
- Hand surgery
- Shoulder surgery
- Arthroscopic surgery
- Spine surgery
Areas of specialisation
- Hip Unit
- Knee Unit
- Upper Limb Unit
- Foot and Ankle Unit
- Shoulder Unit
- Wrist, Hand, and Elbow Unit
- Paediatric Orthopaedics Unit
- Tumour Unit
- Traumatology
- Infectious Orthopaedic Surgery
- Sports Medicine
- Paediatric Orthopaedics
- Orthopaedic Traumatologist
- Scoliosis Treatment
- Physiotherapy
- Rehabilitation
- Traffic Unit
Special services
Vithas has a world-class medical team to offer a quality service. This includes the best diagnostic and therapeutic methods in the hands of the best multidisciplinary team and the best technology to tackle the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases.
Vithas hospitals have traumatologists caring for patients in morning and afternoon shifts, including 24-hour emergency medical attention, care for inpatients, outpatient consulting rooms, interconsultation with ICU and medical attention in operating theatres. We approach the treatment of locomotor system disorders from a comprehensive perspective, in which traumatology is combined with the involvement of other specialities.
Why come to our clinic?
Vithas’ Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology Service offers a wide variety of treatments for the subspecialities of traumatology and orthopaedic surgery using the most advanced and modern techniques. We provide fully personalised and comprehensive care thanks to our teams’ super specialisation and the multidisciplinary approach to each condition.
FAQs
Will I need physiotherapy while my injury is being treated?
Of course. When we have an injury — especially a joint injury —, and depending on its severity, we almost always need physiotherapy to achieve full functionality.
Does surgery involve risks?
Surgeries always have some risk that depends on the type of surgery, although we increasingly use less invasive techniques that minimise these risks. For this reason, patients sign a consent form where they are informed of this possible risk.
What complications may arise in the treatment of my fracture?
The main complications when treating a fracture are poor consolidation or no consolidation, which can impair its mobility. The most serious complication due to prolonged immobilisation is Sudeck’s disease, a neurovascular disorder that can lead to stiffness and joint pain.
Is osteoarthritis the same as arthritis?
They are not the same. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint process that affects the cartilage. Arthritis is an inflammatory process in both healthy and degenerate joints. Repeated arthritis over time ends with osteoarthritis in the joint. Arthritis outbreaks are acute and osteoarthritis outbreaks are chronic.
Why does my knee swell?
Your knee may swell due to traumatic processes with meniscal or ligamentous lesions, arthrosic degenerative processes or rheumatic processes.
What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve is squeezed by the structures of the wrist in the carpal canal. Symptoms include tingling in the first three fingers, starting with the thumb and middle of the fourth.
Are infiltrations beneficial?
Infiltrations are very beneficial when appropriate. They can range from corticosteroids with anaesthetic, the most common, usually for acute processes, to infiltrations of platelet-rich plasma or mesenchymal cells known as stem cells.
