ABSTRACT
Orthopaedics is concerned with bones, joints, muscles, tendons and nerves. The symptoms of orthopaedics are injury, pain, stiffness, swelling, deformity, instability, weakness and loss of function or inability to do certain things. If the symptoms include weakness or incoordination or a change in sensibility, or if they point to any disorder of the neck or back, a complete neurological examination of the related part is mandatory. Acquired deformities in children may be due to fractures involving the physis. Acquired deformities of bone in adults are usually the result of previous malunited fractures. The contrast media used in orthopaedics are mostly iodine-based liquids which can be injected into sinuses, joint cavities or the spinal theca. Arthrocentesis and synovial fluid analysis is a much neglected diagnostic procedure; given the correct indications, it can yield valuable information. In orthopaedic surgery, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the hip, knee, ankle, shoulder and wrist is now fairly commonplace.
