What Is Orthopedic Surgery?
Orthopedic surgery is the medical specialty focused on the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system — bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves. From joint replacement and spinal surgery to sports medicine and bone tumor management, orthopedics encompasses a wide range of procedures that restore mobility, relieve pain, and improve quality of life. Shanghai's Sixth People's Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, is one of China's most celebrated orthopedic centers, renowned for its expertise in joint replacement, limb reconstruction, and sports medicine.
Common Orthopedic Conditions
- Osteoarthritis — degenerative joint disease causing cartilage breakdown in the knee, hip, and shoulder; the leading indication for joint replacement
- Rheumatoid arthritis — inflammatory joint destruction requiring medical and surgical management
- Hip fracture — common in elderly patients; requires urgent surgical fixation or replacement
- Spinal disorders — lumbar disc herniation, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, and degenerative disc disease
- Sports injuries — ACL/PCL tears, meniscal tears, rotator cuff tears, Achilles tendon rupture, cartilage defects
- Bone tumors — osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, giant cell tumor, metastatic bone disease
- Avascular necrosis (osteonecrosis) — bone death from disrupted blood supply, commonly affecting the femoral head
- Limb deformities — congenital or post-traumatic deformities requiring corrective osteotomy or limb lengthening
- Complex fractures — periarticular, intra-articular, and polytrauma fractures requiring specialized fixation
- Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) — infection around a joint replacement requiring revision surgery
Symptoms
- Joint pain, stiffness, and swelling — worse with activity or after prolonged rest
- Reduced range of motion and difficulty with daily activities
- Limping or altered gait
- Back or neck pain radiating to the arms or legs (radiculopathy)
- Weakness, numbness, or tingling in the extremities
- Joint instability or giving way (ligament injuries)
- Bone pain at rest or at night (bone tumors)
- Swelling or a palpable mass around a bone or joint
Causes & Risk Factors
- Age — osteoarthritis and fracture risk increase significantly with age
- Obesity — excess body weight accelerates joint degeneration
- Prior joint injury — post-traumatic arthritis
- Inflammatory arthritis — rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis
- Corticosteroid use — a major risk factor for avascular necrosis
- Genetic predisposition — family history of osteoarthritis or scoliosis
- Sports and occupational overuse
- Osteoporosis — increases fracture risk
Diagnosis
Shanghai's orthopedic teams use comprehensive imaging and functional assessment:
- X-ray — first-line imaging for joint space narrowing, fractures, and bone alignment
- MRI — gold standard for soft tissue assessment — ligaments, menisci, cartilage, rotator cuff, spinal cord
- CT scan — for complex fracture characterization, bone tumor assessment, and surgical planning
- Bone scan (scintigraphy) — for metastatic bone disease and stress fractures
- PET-CT — for bone tumor staging and treatment response
- Bone biopsy — for definitive diagnosis of bone tumors
- Gait analysis — computerized assessment of walking pattern for surgical planning
- Nerve conduction studies (NCS) and EMG — for spinal nerve compression assessment
- DEXA scan — bone mineral density for osteoporosis evaluation
Treatment Options
Shanghai's Sixth People's Hospital and other leading orthopedic centers offer the full spectrum of surgical and non-surgical treatments:
- Total knee replacement (TKR) — resurfacing of the knee joint with metal and polyethylene implants; highly effective for end-stage knee osteoarthritis
- Total hip replacement (THR) — replacement of the femoral head and acetabulum; restores pain-free mobility with excellent long-term outcomes
- Unicompartmental knee replacement — partial knee replacement for isolated medial or lateral compartment arthritis
- Shoulder replacement (TSA / reverse TSA) — for glenohumeral arthritis and irreparable rotator cuff tears
- Robotic-assisted joint replacement — Mako robotic system for precise implant positioning and improved outcomes
- Arthroscopic surgery — minimally invasive keyhole surgery for ACL reconstruction, meniscal repair, rotator cuff repair, and cartilage restoration
- Spinal surgery — microdiscectomy, laminectomy, spinal fusion (TLIF, PLIF, ALIF), and artificial disc replacement
- Scoliosis correction — posterior spinal fusion with pedicle screw instrumentation for adolescent and adult scoliosis
- Limb-salvage surgery for bone tumors — wide resection with custom endoprosthetic reconstruction; avoids amputation in most cases
- Osteotomy — corrective bone cutting for malalignment and early arthritis
- Limb lengthening and deformity correction — using Ilizarov or PRECICE intramedullary nail techniques
- Fracture fixation — intramedullary nailing, plate fixation, and external fixation for complex fractures
- Revision joint replacement — for failed or infected primary implants
Why Choose Shanghai for Orthopedic Surgery?
- Shanghai's Sixth People's Hospital is one of China's most prestigious orthopedic centers, with a national reputation for joint replacement, limb reconstruction, and sports medicine
- High surgical volume with outcomes benchmarking against leading global orthopedic centers
- Access to robotic-assisted joint replacement technology for enhanced precision
- Dedicated bone tumor surgery program with limb-salvage expertise
- Comprehensive rehabilitation services integrated with surgical care
- Treatment costs typically 60–75% lower than equivalent care in the US, UK, or Australia
- Shorter waiting times — elective joint replacement typically within 2–4 weeks
Our Specialist Network
CMCS works with leading orthopedic surgeons across Shanghai's top hospitals, including specialists in joint replacement, spinal surgery, sports medicine, bone tumor surgery, and limb reconstruction at Shanghai's Sixth People's Hospital, Ruijin Hospital, and Changzheng Hospital. Our network ensures you are matched with the right specialist for your specific condition.
How CMCS Can Help
China Medical Concierge Shanghai (CMCS) coordinates your complete orthopedic care journey — from reviewing your imaging and medical records, to arranging specialist consultations, facilitating pre-operative assessment, coordinating surgical scheduling and hospital admission, providing medical interpretation, arranging post-operative rehabilitation, and supporting your recovery and discharge planning in Shanghai.
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