Orthopedic surgeries involve the musculoskeletal system, including our hands, shoulders, foot, and knees. These surgeries are done when there is a fracture, dislocation, or genetic defect. Most of the time, they extend the normal functioning of the skeletal muscles.

Orthopedic surgeons in Melbourne perform a wide variety of operations, including recovering from various bone problems and fixing damaged joints through surgeries. Here are three common procedures performed by orthopedic surgeons that you can learn more about.

1. Total joint replacement

This process can actually begin with normal wear and tear. One or two activities and the cartilage may have lost approximately 50% of its volume. In more advanced cases, people with arthritis may lose up to 80% of their synovium, which reduces their cartilage even further, resulting in additional pain and inflammation. These people need to seek relief as soon as possible; otherwise, they will have to learn how to live with the pain long term.

It acts as a shock absorber and can be easily compressed due to its flexible nature. This means that cartilage is far more flexible when compared to other materials, such as bone. Our body’s joints contain cartilages that act as the shock-absorbing mechanisms when we move, thus minimizing injury caused by excessive movement.

Although cartilage can be repaired, one must understand how much cartilage wear has taken place. You may not have any symptoms (or enough symptoms) that are influenced by cartilage wear. Whether to perform surgery comes to the natural decision of your body and the advice of your doctor.

2. Rotator cuff repair

Rotator cuff repair is performed to repair injured or torn tendons in the shoulder. Rotator cuff repairs are typically performed on patients that have completed a rotator cuff tear rehab program and have failed physical therapy. Rotator cuff tears can be caused by overuse, bad posture, and general wear-and-tear of the joint. During a rotator cuff tear rehab regimen, the patient will perform exercises designed to strengthen the shoulder muscles and regain lost range of motion.

Rotator cuff repair is one of the most common orthopedic surgical procedures performed on people of every age and activity level. While many patients can recover from rotator cuff surgery in a few weeks, some find that they still have pain or weakness in their shoulder after surgery.

3. Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL reconstruction) is an orthopedic surgical procedure in which a surgeon replaces the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee with a tendon from a deceased human donor or a cadaver-allograft.

For many decades ACL reconstruction surgery was very controversial and was often not successful. Although athletes would have to give up the sport they love, this operation sometimes caused more harm than good. However, in recent years Prof.Dr. Holger Fleckenstein and his colleagues have developed a new surgical procedure that is now performed around the world. The robotic-assisted ACL reconstruction is a technique that allows for faster recovery time and lower risks of infection or blood clotting—a faster return to sport can be expected.