Musculoskeletal surgery involves repairing bone, muscle, or tissues that support these structures. These surgeries can range from minimally invasive to emergency procedures.
Musculoskeletal surgeries are also referred to as orthopedic surgeries. They can help repair tissues such as:
- bone
- muscle
- tendons
- ligaments
- cartilage
- fascia
Musculoskeletal surgery may be necessary for various reasons, such as treating sudden injuries or complications of underlying diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Read on to learn more about these surgeries, including when you might need them and what they might entail.
Musculoskeletal surgery involves repairing bones, muscles, or other supportive tissues that help your body move and protect your organs.
You might need musculoskeletal surgery if you develop a problem with your bones or soft tissue, such as:
- sudden traumatic injury
- chronic injury
- sports injury
- aging-related problem
- physical disability
- infection like septic arthritis
- degenerative disease like osteoarthritis
- autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis
- bone or soft tissue cancer
- joint deformity
- bone metabolic disorder (bone weakening)
- avascular necrosis
The
Many types of surgery treat musculoskeletal problems. Some of these surgeries include the following.
Muscle repair
“Muscle repair” is a broad term for surgeries that repair damaged muscles. You may need muscle surgery after a sudden injury where your muscle ruptures or the end of your muscle pulls away from your bone.
Open and closed reduction
An open reduction is a type of surgery that involves making an incision to realign broken bones. You may receive screws, plates, or rods to keep the bones in place. A closed reduction is a procedure to realign broken bones without surgery.
Fasciotomy
Your fascia is a layer of connective tissue that surrounds your muscles. A fasciotomy is a procedure where a surgeon cuts your fascia to relieve muscular pressure. It’s often used to treat a medical emergency called acute compartment syndrome.
Osteotomy
An osteotomy is a procedure to cut and realign your bones or joints. You may receive an osteotomy to treat congenital skeleton deformities or other conditions that cause joint misalignment.
Joint replacement
A joint replacement surgery, also called arthroplasty, involves replacing some or all of the structures in your joint. It’s often performed on your
Joint fusion
Joint fusion, also called arthrodesis, involves permanently fusing a joint like your ankle or one of your vertebrae. After your procedure, you’ll lose the ability to move the joint, but you may have reduced pain and other symptoms.
Tendon or ligament repair
Tendons are pieces of connective tissue that connect muscle to bone. A ligament is a piece of connective tissue that connects two bones.
During the repair of these structures, a surgeon makes an incision over your tendon or ligament and uses one of several techniques to repair the tissue, such as sewing torn ends together.
In some cases, you may need a graft to create a new tendon or ligament.
Cartilage surgery
Cartilage is a type of connective tissue that covers the ends of your bones and also forms pads between some of your joints.
One common type of cartilage surgery is a meniscus arthroscopic repair. This procedure involves repairing one of the two cartilage pads in your knee with a long, thin tube called an arthroscope.
The development of minimally invasive surgical techniques in the
Potential complications of orthopedic surgery include:
- chronic pain
- bleeding
- infection
- reaction to anesthesia
- poor healing
- scarring
- joint stiffness
- muscle weakness
- nerve damage
- need for a second surgery
- blood clots
- nonunion (an inability to heal a fracture)
- medical device failure
Musculoskeletal surgery can often improve pain and other musculoskeletal symptoms, although success rates can vary depending on the underlying condition being treated. After your procedure, you may have:
- reduced pain
- better range of motion
- more autonomy
- better wound healing
The procedure for musculoskeletal surgery depends on what you’re having treated.
Before
You may receive general anesthesia to put you to sleep if you’re having major surgery. Surgeons may perform minor surgeries with local anesthesia or spinal anesthesia to numb the area around your incision site.
During
Your procedure depends on your type of surgery. Surgeons perform some procedures with minimally invasive techniques. During these procedures, your surgeon makes one or more small incisions so they can use a thin tube with special tools to perform the surgery.
More intensive procedures may require a traditional open repair where your surgeon makes large incisions to access structures inside your body.
After
Depending on the extent of your surgery, your surgeon will likely want to monitor you for complications anywhere from about half an hour to days afterward. For minor procedures, you will likely be able to go home the same day as your surgery. Intensive procedures might require days to weeks in the hospital. You may be referred to a physical therapist to continue recovery.
Your healthcare team can give you specific instructions about how to prepare for your surgery. Some of their recommendations might include:
- stopping smoking and consuming alcohol
- stopping medications or supplements that thin your blood
- losing weight
- eating nutritious foods and exercising regularly leading into your procedure
- stopping eating and drinking hours before your procedure, if you’re receiving general anesthesia
Your recovery period can vary widely depending on the extent of your procedure. Minor procedures like those to treat a fractured finger might minimally disrupt your life. Major procedures like a total knee replacement can take months to recover from.
Musculoskeletal surgery costs can vary significantly depending on the extent and type of surgery. A small surgery might only cost hundreds of dollars, while an extensive procedure like a total joint replacement might be more than $10,000.
Musculoskeletal surgery treats problems with muscles, bones, or connective tissues. Doctors use it to treat many conditions, such as traumatic injuries or degenerative conditions.
Your surgeon can give you the best idea of what to expect leading into your surgery. The preparation and recovery for musculoskeletal surgery vary significantly depending on the type of surgery you’re receiving.