Meaning & use
orthopedics
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablemedical
the branch of medicine that deals with injuries and diseases of the bones, joints, and muscles
Grammar: Uncountable; takes a singular verb: Orthopedics is his specialty.
Patterns
- a career in orthopedics
- the field of orthopedics
- orthopedics department
After medical school, she decided to specialize in orthopedics.
The hospital's orthopedics unit handles everything from broken hips to sports injuries.
Advances in orthopedics have made joint replacement much safer.
Common combinations
- orthopedics department
- He was referred to the orthopedics department for his knee pain.
- pediatric orthopedics
- Pediatric orthopedics focuses on bone problems in children.
- practice orthopedics
- She has practiced orthopedics for over twenty years.
- orthopedics residency
- He is completing his orthopedics residency at a teaching hospital.
Synonyms and how they differ
- orthopaedic surgery
- A more specific term that emphasizes the surgical side of the field; orthopedics can also include non-surgical treatments.
Word family
- orthopedist noun
- A doctor who specializes in orthopedics.
- orthopedic adjective
- Relating to orthopedics, as in orthopedic shoes.
Commonly confused: orthopedics or pediatrics?
orthopedics vs pediatrics
Pediatrics is the medical care of children, while orthopedics deals with bones and muscles. They can overlap in pediatric orthopedics.
Practice
The surgeon decided to specialize in ______ after treating many athletes with bone injuries.
Choose one answer.
Orthopedics is the branch that treats bone and joint injuries, so it fits the context of athletes with bone injuries. Pediatrics (children's medicine), dermatology (skin), and cardiology (heart) do not focus on bones.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “orthopedics”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.