orthopedic

American  

[awr-thuh-pee-dik] / ˌɔr θəˈpi dɪk /

Or orthopaedic

adjective

1. of or relating to orthopedics.

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Other Word Forms

• nonorthopedic
  adjective
• orthopedically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of orthopedic

First recorded in 1830–40; ortho- + Greek paid- (stem of paîs “child”; cf. ped-) + -ic

Explanation

An orthopedic surgeon is one who operates on bones and muscles to fix them. The word orthopedic comes from the Greek orthos meaning "straight, correct" and paideia meaning "rearing of children." The term was originally used for children and the kind of treatment they received for skeletal deformities like bow legs or knock-knees. An orthopedic shoe is one that is supposed to help correct the deformed bones and support the weakened muscles of a foot.

Example Sentences

She also holds a joint appointment in the Center for Musculoskeletal Research in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joseph Donnelly has repaired numerous torn ACLs in female high school soccer players in the Bay Area where most high school athletes play on artificial turf.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 9, 2023

There are similarities between the two injury descriptions, said Dr. Alan Beyer, an orthopedic surgeon and executive medical director of the Hoag Orthopedic Institute.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2023

A first-time ACL reconstruction surgery, with no co-injuries, has a standard healing period of eight to 12 months, according to Dr. Alan Beyer, the executive medical director and orthopedic surgeon at Hoag Orthopedic Institute.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2023

Orthopedic surgeons were attached to the medical force near the firing line and to the different hospitals back to the base orthopedic hospital which was established within one hundred miles of the firing line.

From History of the World War An Authentic Narrative of the World's Greatest War by March, Francis Andrew