Orthopedics is the field of medicine that focuses on surgery on, or manipulation of, the musculoskeletal system. The surgical specialty was originally focused on developmental deformities and the effects of polio in children, but today it has expanded significantly to address all the conditions and diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system in individuals of all ages.
Orthopedic conditions can be treated operatively and nonoperatively with medications, physical therapy, exercise, alternate therapies or by a host of surgical procedures, including some that are minimally invasive and thus less traumatic to the body than traditional open surgery.