Traumatologist is one of the oldest medical specializations. Its main task is to help patients who have encountered injuries in everyday life or while performing professional tasks.
In addition to the traditional treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, this doctor’s competence also includes assistance with frostbite and burns of any nature and area of damage. Depending on the cause and degree of damage, all citizens coming to see him are divided into two groups: planned and emergency.
The first category, in the event of emergency situations, can “be patient”, skipping in line those who were brought in after accidents or falls from a height. If the victim requires immediate hospitalization, he is taken by ambulance to the inpatient department and immediately sent to the operating room.
There, a traumatologist and surgeon get down to business. Their well-coordinated collective work allows not only to save the life of the victim, but also to guarantee the restoration of a good quality of life in the future under favorable circumstances.
Demanded specialists
A traumatologist is a specialist whose demand is growing every year. This is due to the fact that scientific and technological progress introduces more and more new causes of injury into human life.
Eating refined foods and inactivity lead to human bones becoming more fragile, and therefore even the impact of a small force can lead to a fracture. The other extreme is the craze for strength training, often done without proper technique. All this significantly expands the scope of work of specialists in the field of traumatology.
By the nature of his activity, a traumatologist works closely with orthopedists, surgeons of various specializations (vascular, burn, neurosurgery), and with specialists working in sports medicine.
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General information
What does an orthopedic traumatologist treat? This medical specialist is engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of various injuries to the body that are caused by mechanical stress. This specialist’s area of expertise also includes deformities and diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
An orthopedic traumatologist diagnoses and treats such ailments using therapeutic and surgical methods. In our country, both traumatologists and orthopedists practice. There are many specialists whose profession is called “orthopedist-traumatologist” or “surgeon-traumatologist”. This denotes a narrow sphere of competence of the specialist.
This area of medical science includes three separate specialties. They study diseases, injuries and methods of treating injuries in the musculoskeletal system.
How to get an appointment with a traumatologist
Primary care, where doctors of this specialization work, is a trauma center, which usually receives patients around the clock. It is equipped with everything necessary to provide first aid. If necessary, after visiting the emergency room, the patient can be sent to traumatology departments of other medical institutions for further observation or hospitalization.
First aid to the victim can also be provided by a specialist working in the emergency room of a trauma hospital.
If an injury threatens a person’s life, for example, with severe blood loss, you should contact an ambulance rather than the emergency room.
The traumatologist also sees patients in clinics, public and private medical centers.
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When to contact a traumatologist
Usually people see this doctor only in extreme cases, when the pain becomes unbearable or movement in a limb is completely lost. In fact, damage is not always obvious, and the consequences of a minor injury can lead to disastrous results.
You should immediately contact a traumatologist in the following situations:
- Injury from any external influence, accompanied by severe pain and impaired mobility in the affected area.
- Severe pain and movement disorders of various localizations after unsuccessful strength training.
- Road and transport accidents. The consequences of injuries received in such a situation may appear after some time.
- The appearance of wounds with a large affected area.
- Getting burns and frostbite.
- Swelling and redness of the periarticular area, noticeable deformation of the joint, impaired mobility.
- Chest pain when taking a deep breath (this may indicate a rib fracture).
- Falls in older people, accompanied by severe pain, dizziness, nausea, and impaired mobility.
The World Health Organization estimates that 37.3 million falls occur each year worldwide with serious consequences requiring medical attention.
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What does a traumatologist treat?
A traumatologist is well versed in the functioning of the human musculoskeletal system and the impact of traumatic factors on it. This allows him to successfully diagnose and treat numerous ailments associated with injuries of various types.
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Fractures
A fracture is a violation of the integrity of a bone that appears as a result of an impact that exceeds the level of strength of the bone tissue (each bone has a different degree of permissible load).
Fractures are widespread: many people experience at least one such incident during their lifetime. The cause may be an unfortunate fall, a blow, a road or natural disaster, etc. - such a fracture is called traumatic, its distinctive feature is that it appears on healthy, physiologically unchanged tissue.
A fracture is possible even with an awkward movement or turn. Such phenomena are more common in older people and are associated with loss of bone strength due to the development of a pathological process.
There are closed fractures (without violating the integrity of the skin and mucous membranes) and open (there are damage to the skin and mucous membranes).
Symptoms of a fracture:
- Deformation of the affected limb.
- A bone crunch that can be heard by ear or detected by palpation by a doctor.
- Pathological mobility in the affected area.
- Visually visible bone fragments in the wound (if there is an open fracture).
- Pain in the area of injury, which intensifies when trying to make a movement.
- Swelling of the damaged area, the appearance of a hematoma. As a rule, they appear some time after the moment of injury and then increase.
- Impaired motor function: inability to move or support.
Depending on the nature of the injury, general manifestations make themselves felt: cold sweat, blood loss, respiratory problems, loss of consciousness. Immediately after injury, the victim often experiences nervous agitation and underestimation of the severity of his condition, which later gives way to lethargy and lethargy.
A person with a suspected fracture must be quickly taken to an appointment with a traumatologist, ensuring temporary immobilization (immobility) of the damaged part of the body using available objects. If the fracture is open, you should remove any contamination around the wound if possible and cover it with a sterile bandage.
Find out what assistance measures you can take in case of a fracture before visiting a traumatologist in this video:
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Dislocations
In this pathological condition, there is a displacement of the articular surfaces relative to each other. A traumatic dislocation is said to occur if it occurs as a result of too strong muscle movement, a fall, an impact, forced extension and flexion, or other mechanical external influence.
Sometimes, due to various pathological processes, the strength of the joint capsule and ligaments decreases; they can no longer hold the ends of the bones in a stable position even when exposed to a small force. Because of this, a dislocation, called pathological, can occur during normal everyday movements.
Traumatic dislocations are always characterized by severe pain. At the moment of injury, you may hear a click or pop. The damaged joint swells and becomes deformed. The appearance of bruises is possible; there is no movement in it. The victim may experience pale and cold skin, numbness or tingling.
If there is a suspicion of a dislocation, the victim should be quickly taken to a traumatologist, preferably within the first 2-3 hours after receiving the injury. In the future, tissue swelling and reflex muscle tension will increase, and this will significantly complicate reduction. It is unacceptable to correct a dislocation on your own!
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Sprains and ligament tears
Such traumatic injuries, along with bruises, occupy a leading position among the reasons for contacting a traumatologist. They can appear in people of any age; this is a common occurrence among lovers of an active lifestyle. More often, sprains are diagnosed in the ankle, knee, wrist, and shoulder joints.
Such pathologies are characteristic not only of athletes working with heavy weights. Such a nuisance often occurs during a normal tripping or moving on a slippery surface. Injury can be caused by wearing high heels, twisting a leg, or an unfortunate fall.
A sprain occurs when a ligament receives stress beyond its strength level. Since the ligamentous tissue contains nerve endings and small vessels, hemorrhage occurs in the damaged area, combined with intense pain. During the first day, swelling increases, sometimes the limb takes on an “elephant” appearance. A local increase in body temperature is possible.
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Bruises
Closed injuries without serious damage to their structure are called bruises.
Pain of varying intensity and local hemorrhage appear, manifested by a bruise - an area of blue-purple color, gradually changing to greenish and yellow.
Loss of mobility in the damaged area does not occur immediately, but as swelling and pain increase. This makes it possible to distinguish a bruise from a fracture, in which motor disturbances make themselves felt immediately after the moment of injury.
Although seemingly harmless, bruises can be combined with damage to internal organs and complications (concussion, impaired blood supply to organs, internal bleeding, detachment of the periosteum). Therefore, after receiving severe bruises and increasing alarming symptoms, a consultation with a traumatologist is required.
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Long-term compartment syndrome
This pathological phenomenon, also called traumatic toxicosis, occurs after prolonged compression of the limbs, their individual parts or the entire body as a whole. It usually occurs during natural disasters, accidents, in mines, during logging and construction work, and during the destruction of buildings.
Immediately after the compression is released, there may be no alarming symptoms, but over the next few hours the swelling of the damaged area quickly increases, and the skin therein becomes purple-bluish. Tachycardia appears and blood pressure decreases. The temperature rises, the skin turns pale and becomes covered in cold, sticky sweat. Involuntary defecation and urination are possible.
The victim must be urgently taken to the hospital.
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Wounds
Wounds are tissue damage accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the skin or mucous membranes. They differ in depth, localization, mechanism of occurrence and other parameters.
The causes of injuries include domestic injuries, accidents, incidents during sports training, criminal episodes, and car accidents.
The wound is accompanied by pain, bleeding, restriction or dysfunction of the damaged organ. Symptoms may vary depending on the nature of the injury. For minor injuries, capillary bleeding is typical; serious blood loss does not occur. If there is major blood loss due to venous or arterial bleeding, traumatic shock and death may occur.
The wound is accompanied by external bleeding (blood leaks out) or internal bleeding (blood leaking into the body cavity).
For small superficial wounds, assistance is provided by a doctor at the emergency room. In case of serious injuries or suspected damage to internal organs, nerves and blood vessels, hospitalization is necessary.
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Other diseases
What diseases does a traumatologist treat? This list is extensive. However, the most common ailments should be considered in detail. In addition to injuries, this medical specialist diagnoses and treats the following pathologies:
- Osteoporosis. A disease that causes a person’s bone density to decrease. It becomes fragile, vulnerable to minor mechanical stress.
- Osteomyelitis. An inflammatory disease that develops in the bone structure. It is often caused by bacteria (staphylococcus, streptococcus).
- Arthritis. An inflammatory process occurring in the joints. It develops and proceeds slowly. If no action is taken, the disease leads to disability.
- Spondylitis. Inflammation of the joints in the spinal column.
- Intervertebral hernia. The disc between the vertebrae protrudes into the lumen of the spine.
- Arthrosis. Gradual destruction of the bone tissue of the joint. Their function is gradually impaired.
- Bone tumor. There are benign and malignant tumors. The first category includes osteoma, osteochondroma, cyst, etc. Malignant neoplasms include myeloma, Ewing's sarcoma, etc.
- Gout. Uric acid salts are deposited in the joints. The pain in this case is severe, paroxysmal. The joint becomes inflamed and deformed.
Considering what an orthopedist-traumatologist treats in adults and children, one can name a lot of other ailments. However, the main ones, the most common pathologies, were presented above. Depending on the disease, different manifestations may be observed. Some diseases are asymptomatic, while others cause significant discomfort.
Therapeutic and diagnostic methods used by a traumatologist
In addition to the necessary knowledge in the professional field, a traumatologist has practical skills that allow him to provide assistance in situations that are often emergency.
- Knowledge of local anesthesia techniques, ranging from local blocks to spinal anesthesia.
- Treatment of wounds: sanitation to prevent infection, if necessary, suturing the edges of the wound.
- Reposition (installation in an anatomically correct place) of bone fragments, reduction of dislocations.
- Application of plaster casts and splints.
- Knowledge of blood transfusion techniques.
The main tool of this doctor is his hands. To clarify the diagnosis, a traumatologist can use the following methods:
- X-ray examination performed to determine the degree of integrity of bones and joints.
- Ultrasonography.
- Magnetic resonance and computed tomography.
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Pediatric traumatologist
Children are more susceptible to injury than adults, and the consequences of injury for a child's body can be quite significant. Therefore, there was a need to create a separate specialty – pediatric traumatology.
A doctor who practices in this area is called a pediatric traumatologist. In his work, he takes into account the anatomical and physiological characteristics of childhood, which influence the nature of injury and the development of post-traumatic conditions in children.
- The child's body is small, which leads to a greater distribution of mechanical force leading to injury.
- In children, the proportions of the head in relation to the body are increased, and, accordingly, the center of gravity is located higher. Their skull bones are thinner. Therefore, they are predisposed to head injuries.
- The children's skeleton has growth plates - areas of growing tissue at the ends of the long bones. These areas are often damaged by fractures. The result may be bending or shortening of the limb.
- Due to weakness and underdevelopment, a child’s muscles have a lesser protective function, which is why his skeleton and internal organs are more susceptible to damage from injuries.
- Children's skeletal-ligamentous structure is more plastic, which creates the possibility of significant traumatic effects on internal organs.
Children often receive a variety of injuries, and not every bruise or abrasion is a reason to seek medical help. However, parents should be aware of the difference between a simple scratch and a serious injury that requires immediate medical attention.
According to the World Health Organization, falls cause half of the emergency medical care visits by parents and children. Although most of them result in only minor scrapes and bruises, 130 children die each year as a result of falls.
Reasons for contacting a pediatric traumatologist:
- After a fall, blow or bruise, severe deformation of the limb is observed, swelling increases, and the color of the skin at the site of injury changes.
- Some time after the traumatic impact, the pain intensified, and limited movement appeared at the site of injury.
- The injury is accompanied by impaired coordination of movements, nausea, loss of consciousness, and vomiting.
- There is an open wound.
The pathologies that a traumatologist has to deal with sometimes require lengthy and difficult treatment, especially in advanced cases. To prevent serious complications and maintain quality of life, you should contact this specialist as soon as possible after traumatic exposure.
Main activities
In the modern world, the work of a traumatologist is increasingly relevant. What does this doctor treat? There are several main directions in its activities. Diagnostics and therapy are carried out for the following diseases and pathologies:
- Fractures. This pathology is characterized by a violation of the integrity of bone tissue. The human skeleton protects internal organs from mechanical influences, and also allows us to move and have a clear body shape. Fractures in the skull and spine are especially dangerous. Such injuries can cause disability or death to the patient.
- Sprain. This is a common injury that is less dangerous to the body than a fracture. Sprains are often experienced by people who play sports or, conversely, who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
- Dislocations. Such injuries are caused by both mechanical external influences and chronic diseases (for example, arthritis or arthrosis). Observed in the area of joints and bones.
- Ligament rupture in a joint. This is a common injury. It can occur due to a blow, fall or sudden movement of a person.
- Burn. This injury also falls under the purview of a traumatologist. Often such pathologies are dealt with by a trauma surgeon. The burn is often observed on superficial tissues, but can also affect internal organs. A burn occurs when exposed to high temperatures, chemicals or current.
- Frostbite. It is also tissue damage that occurs when exposed to low temperatures.
Considering what diseases an orthopedic traumatologist treats, a number of other ailments should be noted. The listed pathologies are injuries. However, there is a whole list of ailments that require consultation with this specialist.
