Orthopedics is the specialty of medicine that deals with diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system, including limbs,
bones, muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments. The term orthopedics, which literally means "straight children," goes back to the time when the profession was devoted to the treatment and correction of
deformities in children, for example, clubfoot. However,
orthopedists now treat both children and adults for a variety of conditions including fractured bones, torn tendons and ligaments, spastic muscles, congenital skeletal deformities, and bone and joint deformities arising from diseases such as arthritis and tuberculosis or from injury. They employ a variety of devices and techniques such as braces, splints, casts, drugs, and surgery to correct these conditions. Surgical procedures include repair of fractures, fusion of vertebrae to treat spinal deformities caused by disease or injury, correction of deformities by bone removal and bone grafting, and implantation of metal devices to strengthen or replace defective bone. Orthopedists must fulfill hospital residency requirements and pass medical board examinations before they can be licensed to practice.