Orthopedics is a surgical brand in which acute and chronic injuries are treated and healed. These injuries are caused when the musculoskeletal system is overused. An orthopedic surgeon specializes both in nonsurgical and surgical treatments. Common conditions they treat include trauma, congenital deformities, and arthritis. Some orthopedic specialists, like Dr James Devellis MD, focus specifically on sports medicine and orthopedics.

The Link between Sports Medicine and Orthopedics

There is a clear link between these two disciplines. What sets them apart, however, is that orthopedic medicine treats any type of musculoskeletal injury, whereas sports medicine orthopedics focuses solely on injuries, illnesses, and disorders caused by taking part in athletic pursuits.

Surgery has always been the last resort in all areas of medicine. Only if all else fails would a physician recommend surgery. However, in recent years, surgery is becoming more common, and particularly if the injury is related to sports. This is because research has shown that surgical results are quite quick when the injury is related to sports.

Today, there are nine specializations within orthopedic surgery, of which surgical sports medicine is one. It is also one of the most important ones in the new healthcare industry.

The American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM)

The AOSSM is an organization that brings together specialists in the field of sports medicine, with the aim of furthering the field. They perform important pieces of research, while at the same time providing education, granting fellowships in research of sports medicine, communicate with other specialists, and more. The organization is a globally recognized pioneer. It was formed in 1972, when American orthopedic surgeons joined forces to further the sports medicine cause. Since then, the organization has promoted various important pieces of research designed to prevent and manage athletic injuries.

The AOSSM has also developed a number of specific roles and responsibilities that people in the field of orthopedic sports medicine must sign up to. In order to be able to practice in this field, those roles and responsibilities must be met. Dr James Devallis MD, for instance, meets all those requirements. They include:

  1. That the practitioner must have the right educational qualifications and specializations and that these are relevant to orthopedic sports medicine in particular.
  2. Any completed education will only be accepted if it was properly accredited. Further, graduates must have obtained fellowship in order to demonstrate their skills.
  3. All orthopedic sports medicine physicians should take part in regular research. This guarantees that they remain up to date with the latest technologies, techniques, and developments, while at the same time making contributions to that field.
  4. Any orthopedic sports medicine surgeon must be a member of an accepted research publication or journal, so that they remain up to date with news in the field.

The field of orthopedic sports medicine, clearly, is highly specialized and criteria for being a specialist in this field have been set. Only if those have been fully fulfilled will someone be allowed to practice in the field.