Orthopaedic Evaluation Expectations

Understanding Your Body's Mechanics

Your musculoskeletal system, or the locomotor system, supports your body, protects your organs, and is responsible for your movement. It is a complex system that consists of 206 bones that are connected by tendons, muscles, joints, ligaments and nerves, and even a minor disruption in its equilibrium can result in your body feeling discomfort or inhibit your body’s physical abilities.

What Does an Orthopedic Surgeon Specialize In?

Though you may have been told to see an orthopedic specialist, you may find yourself not knowing what one even is. Orthopedic surgeons are trained to look at any injuries, deformities, or diseases that affect your musculoskeletal system. The general study of orthopedics covers many kinds of both mild and severe conditions, such as:

• Back and neck pain

• Sprains and strains

• Fractures and dislocations

• Cartilage and ligament tears

• Bursitis and tendonitis

• Arthritis

• Osteoporosis

• Congenital defects and abnormalities

• Tumors in the bones and soft tissues

Questions Your Doctor May Ask You

Don’t be afraid to reach out to a Fort Myers orthopedic specialist about your joint pain and possible joint replacement. If you’re thinking about making an appointment, be ready to answer any questions they may have, and be as thorough as possible with your medical and health history. Examples of questions the orthopedic specialist may ask are:

•  What areas of the body do you feel pain? Do multiple joints hurt?

• When did you first start feeling pain? Do you know what caused it?

• From a scale of 1 to 5, how much pain do you feel?

• Has your pain gotten worse recently? If so, is it more severe, do you feel pain more often, or both?

• Does your pain get worse/occur more often if you do weight-bearing activities (ie: walking), while resting, or at night?

• Do you take any medication to manage pain? (Be sure to list both prescription and non-prescription medications/treatments you may be taking.)

• Are you taking any dietary supplements? (Be sure to list all of the vitamins and pills you may be taking for your arthritis, such as chondroitin or glucosamine.)

• Are you able to walk without support, or with support? How far can you walk without support? With support?

• Can you climb stairs comfortably without help? If you can, do you need to go very slowly and carefully?

• How physically active are you?

• Have you had any tests done to evaluate your joint pain?

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

You should also be prepared to ask questions for your doctor to determine if you’re eligible for joint replacement. No question is too small! Be sure to be thorough so you and your doctor can ultimately make the best decision for your joint health. Examples of questions include:

• What options do I have for pain relief besides joint replacement? Will these options work as well as a joint replacement?

• If I choose to have a joint replacement, how much pain relief will I feel?

• How is the joint replacement procedure performed?

• What will I be doing for pain management after the surgery?

• What are the risks or complications of joint replacement?

• How long will I be in the hospital, and how soon after my surgery will I be able to partake in my daily routine?

• Is joint replacement covered by my insurance?

• After the procedure, will I be seeing my orthopedic specialist or primary care doctor for follow-up care?

• If I decide to go through with joint replacement surgery, which company’s implant do you recommend, and how will it fit within my needs?

• If I have joint replacement, will you, my orthopedic specialist, perform my surgery? How many of these procedures have you performed?

• What kind of activities will I be able to participate in after joint replacement?

The Orthopaedic Evaluation

Your orthopedic specialist will evaluate your joint depending on what the problem is and how you describe your pain, but the most common tests you can expect from your visit consist of the following:

• A thorough medical history evaluation

• A physical examination

• X-rays

• Additional tests, as needed

Your medical history needs to be measured by your orthopedic surgeon to evaluate the status of your health and the possible causes of your joint pain. Additionally, your history will help your specialist determine your level of joint pain, and how it interferes with your daily life.

Your physician will ask you to perform a number of physical activities during the physical examination, including analyzing your standing posture, gait (your walking style), how you sit and lie down, which will help confirm the diagnosis and eliminate any possible wrong initial evaluations. The physical exam will also help your doctor appraise the status of your hips and knees, taking note of their:

• Size and length

• Strength

• Range of motion

• Swelling

• Reflexes

• Skin condition

If you experience any pain or discomfort in your hips, your back may also have to be examined because hip pain is often a product of problems around the lower spine.

After your physical evaluation, an X-ray is usually the next step in determining a diagnosis. The X-ray will provide a visual of the amount of joint damage or deformity you may have, and can reveal:

• Narrowing of the joint space

• Cysts in the bone

• Spurs manifesting on the edge of the bone

• Areas of bony thickening called sclerosis

• Deformity or incorrect alignment

Sometimes, additional tests may be needed in order to receive a proper diagnosis. Your fluids like blood, urine or joint fluid may be gathered to be analyzed in a lab, and are helpful to determine specific types of arthritis, and can help dismiss certain diseases. An X-ray on the back may also be suggested to make sure that hip pain isn’t being caused by your spine or a potential back problem. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or bone scans may also be performed to diagnose the bones and soft tissues of the affected joint.

You may want to make a note of your observations of your condition in order to help your orthopedic surgeon make a proper diagnosis. Answers to the following questions may assist in your problem:

• When did I start having this pain? Where do I have pain?

• How long have I had this pain?

• Do I have any redness or swelling around my joints?

• What daily tasks are hard to do now?

• Did I ever injure the joint or overwork/over-exert it?

• Does my family have a history of certain conditions?

Schedule An Appointment Today

If you or someone you know is in pain, don’t wait to get relief.