What to Expect During an Orthopedic Evaluation?

An orthopedic surgeon is a medical professional who treats problems related to the musculoskeletal system through both surgical and nonsurgical measures. Some examples of why you might go to an orthopedic surgeon for an evaluation include pain related to the bones, joints, and muscles, sports injuries, or trauma. So, you can expect your orthopedic surgeon to analyze and interpret your problems and make meaning of them during an orthopedic evaluation. The evaluation will likely consist of several different parts, but they are all targeted to achieve a diagnosis and a treatment plan by the end.

The purpose of your visit may determine what goes on during the evaluation, yet most evaluations consist of a medical history evaluation that is followed by a physical examination and tests to further investigate and diagnose the problem. Your medical history will help inform your orthopedic surgeon about the state of your health and contextualize any prior complications that may support the diagnosis. A medical history may be followed up by a series of questions about the injury or condition, like the level of pain and the effect it has had on your daily life for example. These questions may determine the tests that will be performed or run. A physical examination may require you to perform a few physical activities based on your orthopedist’s request and will help identify problems as well.

Going to an orthopedic evaluation, you may feel anxious, nervous, or even scared, especially if it is your first time visiting a new doctor, or you might just not know what to expect. This is completely normal and often the case, so you must learn how to be prepared and know what to expect for the evaluation. You may want to pay close attention to the symptoms or any other problems you are experiencing, whether it be pain, discomfort, or swelling, so you can bring up areas of concern to your orthopedist during the evaluation. Some questions you may want to ask yourself are: When did this pain start and where is it located? What daily tasks have become difficult? Did I overwork or overexert the muscles or joints? The doctor will likely take notes and ask you questions about your past medical conditions, your symptoms, and your physical ability. Then, they will run tests to further investigate, eventually leading to a diagnosis. After a diagnosis has been made, they will consult you about the paths for treatment and where to go from there.

There are a multitude of diagnostic tests that your orthopedic surgeon may opt for, depending on your situation. Certain tests may be able to determine the location and severity of the condition, while other tests may help in ruling out possible conditions based on symptoms.
 
However, the three most common diagnostic tests that they will run are physical examinations, X-rays, and MRIs. A physical examination is often the first test that is run before your doctor decides to follow up with additional tests. With a physical examination, they may be able to identify deformities in parts of the body, such as the spine, ankles, or feet, to name a few. X-rays may be the next step in ruling out or diagnosing the problem, as they can help inspect the bones and identify fractures, breaks, dislocations, and other joint problems. Before an X-ray, a contrast dye may be suggested to develop a clearer image of the bones. For an MRI, magnets and computer algorithms are used to create images of the softer tissues in the body. MRIs can pick up on things like muscle, ligaments, cartilage, and other soft tissue, which tests like X-rays or CT scans have difficulty reading. Each of these tests is utilized to aid your orthopedic surgeon in determining the root cause of symptoms, leading them closer to a diagnosis.
 
Orthopedic evaluation is available at the Southern Sports Medicine Institute. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online today! We serve patients from Gallatin TN, Nashville TN, Portland TN, Hendersonville TN, Lafayette TN, Castalian Springs TN, Westmoreland TN, Hartsville TN, Cottontown TN, Old Hickory TN, Goodlettsville TN, White House TN, Lebanon TN, Greenbrier TN, Bowling Green KY, Bethpage TN, Lavergne TN, Franklin TN, Springfield TN, Red Boiling Springs TN, Hermitage TN and Mount Juliet TN.