Trauma and fractures
Emergency recognition, fracture and dislocation assessment, immobilisation, fixation, healing, complications, and aftercare.
Programme in developmentClinical scope
Orthopaedics: conditions, trauma, and recovery
Orthopaedics is not only joint care. It includes acute injury and fractures, bone and soft-tissue conditions, surgery, rehabilitation, and the return to function.
Browse by clinical area, body region, or stage of care. Published medical pages display their evidence date and review status. Topics in development are not presented as completed guidance.
Browse by clinical area
Conditions and programmes
Osteoarthritis and joint pain
Symptoms, function, diagnosis, exercise, medicines, injections, and decisions about surgery.
Programme in developmentSports injuries
Ligament, tendon, muscle, and joint injuries; assessment, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and return to activity.
Programme in developmentJoint reconstruction and replacement
Joint preservation, partial and total knee replacement, hip and shoulder replacement, revision, and recovery.
Programme in developmentOsteoporosis and fragility fractures
Fracture risk, diagnosis, treatment, falls, fracture liaison, and prevention of another fracture.
Programme in developmentOrthopaedic oncology
Recognition and referral of bone and soft-tissue tumours, diagnostic pathways, multidisciplinary care, and reconstruction.
Programme in developmentPaediatric orthopaedics
Growth-related conditions, deformity, injury, examination, family communication, and specialist referral.
Programme in developmentRehabilitation and healthy ageing
Healing, pain, strength, mobility, confidence, participation, falls prevention, and long-term musculoskeletal health.
Programme in developmentBrowse by body region
From shoulder to foot
The first condition guide is available for knee osteoarthritis. Other regional pathways remain in development.
Shoulder and elbow
Fracture · dislocation · instability · rotator cuff · arthritis · replacement
Hand and wrist
Fracture · tendon · nerve · compression · arthritis · function
Spine
Back and neck symptoms · degeneration · fragility fracture · red flags
Hip and pelvis
Arthritis · trauma · fragility fracture · preservation · replacement
Knee
Osteoarthritis · ligament · meniscus · patellofemoral conditions · replacement
Foot and ankle
Acute injury · fracture · instability · deformity · arthritis · return to activity
Browse by stage of care
From injury or diagnosis to recovery
A useful orthopaedic pathway follows the whole course of care rather than stopping at a procedure.
- 01Recognise
What happened, warning signs, and whether assessment is urgent.
- 02Assess
History, examination, imaging, tests, uncertainty, and diagnosis.
- 03Decide
Non-operative care, procedures, surgery, alternatives, and trade-offs.
- 04Prepare
Health optimisation, expectations, practical planning, and recovery goals.
- 05Recover
Healing, rehabilitation, complications, milestones, work, and sport.
- 06Protect
Strength, falls prevention, bone health, healthy ageing, and preventing recurrence.
Medical content
Review status is shown on every governed guide
English is the reference edition. Translations should be connected only after medical and language review, not by unreviewed automatic translation.