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. Maryland has 532 practicing orthopedic surgeons. Broken out by city, orthopedic surgery doctor density in Abingdon is 1, in Andrews Afb is 3, in Annapolis is 14, in Arnold is 8, in Baltimore is 217, in Bel Air is 29, in Berlin is 12, in Bethesda is 28, in Bladensburg is 1, in Bowie is 20, in Brooklyn is 5, in Cambridge is 9, in Camp Springs is 3, in Catonsville is 3, in Centreville is 5, in Chester is 1, in Chestertown is 5, in Cheverly is 2, in Chevy Chase is 17, in Church Creek is 1, in Clarksville is 1, in Clinton is 17, in College Park is 1, in Columbia is 20, in Crofton is 2, in Cumberland is 11, in Damascus is 1, in Dundalk is 3, in Dunkirk is 4, in Easton is 8, in Edgewood is 2, in Eldersburg is 6, in Elkridge is 1, in Elkton is 6, in Ellicott City is 8, in Essex is 1, in Fallston is 1, in Forest Hill is 1, in Fort Washington is 7, in Frederick is 12, in Gaithersburg is 8, in Germantown is 19, in Glen Burnie is 25, in Greenbelt is 11, in Gwynn Oak is 1, in Hagerstown is 10, in Halethorpe is 7, in Havre De Grace is 10, in Hollywood is 2, in Huntingtown is 1, in Hyattsville is 3, in Jarrettsville is 1, in Kensington is 4, in La Plata is 3, in Lanham is 3, in Largo is 8, in Laurel is 14, in Leonardtown is 4, in Lutherville is 26, in Lutherville Timonium is 10, in Millersville is 5, in Montgomery Village is 3, in Mount Airy is 6, in Nottingham is 4, in Oakland is 3, in Olney is 21, in Owings is 1, in Owings Mills is 23, in Oxon Hill is 15, in Pasadena is 4, in Perry Hall is 1, in Pikesville is 2, in Prince Frederick is 7, in Randallstown is 3, in Reisterstown is 2, in Riverdale is 5, in Rockville is 30, in Rosedale is 11, in Salisbury is 12, in Severna Park is 1, in Silver Spring is 42, in Solomons is 6, in Sykesville is 3, in Takoma Park is 1, in Temple Hills is 1, in Timonium is 8, in Towson is 38, in Upper Marlboro is 2, in Waldorf is 11, in Westminster is 9, and in White Marsh is 2.

Maryland was one of the thirteen original colonies, and achieved statehood in 1788. Maryland’s population is 5,600,388; Annapolis is its capital and home to the U.S. Naval Academy. Baltimore is the largest city, and is home to world-acclaimed Johns-Hopkins University and Hospital. There are myriad activities available for residents or visitors, including arts and theater, sports, museums, hiking, biking and walking trails, Famous people from Maryland include musician Frank Zappa, baseball great Babe Ruth, and Francis Scott Key, who wrote the “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

According to 2005 Census estimates, Maryland has a population of 5,600,388. Of this population, 1,360,481 are under the age of 18 and 641,040 are at or above the age of 65.