Orthopedic surgery deals with problems of the spine and the extremities. An orthopedic surgeon diagnoses and treats patients whose musculoskeletal problems include arthritis, trauma and congenital deformities. He or she also works with patients who have traumatic and overuse injuries. Using both surgical and non-surgical means, the orthopedic surgeon will treat injuries and degenerative problems of the spine and extremities, such as hands, feet, knees, shoulders and elbows.

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are Spinal Infection, Spinal Discectomy, Spinal Injury, Spondylolisthesis, Spinal Stenosis, Herniated Disc, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Scoliosis, Spinal Deformity, Spinal Cord Tumors, arthritis, Trigger finger, Tennis elbow, Wrist fractures, Ganglion cysts, Orthopaedic trauma, Brachial plexus injuries, and congenital deformities.

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including Disc Disease / Surgery, Hand surgery, Hip Replacement, Back / Spine Surgery , Invasive Disc Surgery, Joint Surgery, Kyphosis Surgery, Shoulder arthroscopy and débridement, Repair of ankle fracture (bimalleolar type), Repair fracture of radius (bone)/ulna, Knee replacement, Laminectomy, Total joint reconstruction (arthroplasty), Spine surgery, Foot and ankle surgery, Lumbar spinal fusion, Carpal tunnel release, Repair of femoral shaft fracture, Repair of rotator cuff tendon, and Repair of ankle fracture (fibula).

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including Cat Scan, MRI arthrogram, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Axial Tomography (CT or CAT Scan), x-ray, PET scan, Bone Scans, Hip Ultrasound, Gallium Scan, Medical Photography, and Spine Ultrasound.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Kansas has 251 practicing orthopedic surgeons. Broken out by city, orthopedic surgery doctor density in Andover is 1, in Atchison is 1, in Belleville is 1, in Blue Springs is 1, in Burlington is 1, in Chanute is 2, in Coffeyville is 2, in Columbus is 1, in Dodge City is 3, in El Dorado is 3, in Emporia is 4, in Fort Leavenworth is 1, in Fort Riley is 3, in Fort Scott is 1, in Garden City is 5, in Garnett is 1, in Great Bend is 2, in Hays is 4, in Hiawatha is 1, in Hutchinson is 10, in Independence is 2, in Iola is 1, in Kansas City is 26, in Lawrence is 6, in Leavenworth is 2, in Leawood is 29, in Lenexa is 1, in Liberal is 2, in Louisville is 1, in Manhattan is 8, in Marysville is 1, in Newton is 3, in Norton is 2, in Olathe is 9, in Opolis is 1, in Overland Park is 40, in Paola is 2, in Park City is 1, in Parsons is 3, in Phillipsburg is 2, in Pittsburg is 6, in Pittsburgh is 2, in Prairie Village is 2, in Pratt is 1, in Salina is 9, in Shawnee is 8, in Shawnee Mission is 12, in Stafford is 1, in Topeka is 18, and in Wichita is 60.

Kansas was admitted to the United States in 1861. Topeka is its capital city, and the population of Kansas is 2,744,687. Topeka offers sports and recreation, arts and cultural entertainment, and casinos to residents and visitors. Lucas claims to be the Folk Art center of the United States. Visit the Pony Express National Historic Trail, tour historic Fort Leavenworth, or see the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchinson. Kansas is also home to the John Brown Museum, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad in the mid-1800s.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Kansas has a population of 2,744,687. Of this population, 652,270 are under the age of 18 and 354,995 are at or above the age of 65.