Word
orthopedic
Phoneticsor·tho·pe·dic
US/ˌɔɹθəˈpidɪk/
UK/ˌɔːθəʊpˈiːdɪk/
UK spelling · orthopaedic
Definition
adj. relating to the medical treatment of bones and muscles. You often see this word on shoes or mattresses designed to support your body and reduce pain.
adj. relating to the branch of medicine concerned with the correction or prevention of deformities, disorders, or injuries of the skeleton and associated structures.
Examples
“He needs orthopedic surgery on his knee.”
“After the accident, she spent several months working with an orthopedic specialist to regain full movement in her hip.”
“The hospital recently invested in a specialized orthopedic wing to accommodate the rising number of patients requiring complex spinal reconstructions and joint replacements.”
Examples
simple
“He needs orthopedic surgery on his knee.”
contextual
“After the accident, she spent several months working with an orthopedic specialist to regain full movement in her hip.”
complex
“The hospital recently invested in a specialized orthopedic wing to accommodate the rising number of patients requiring complex spinal reconstructions and joint replacements.”
Usage
Commonly used to describe medical specialists, surgical procedures, or consumer products designed for postural support.
Pitfall
an orthopedics surgeon
an orthopedic surgeon
When used as a modifier before a noun, the singular adjective form 'orthopedic' is required rather than the plural noun 'orthopedics'.
Real-World Examples
“Sravisht Iyer, an associate professor of orthopedics at Weill Cornell and a spine surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS).” Etymology
Borrowed from French orthopédique.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/orthopedic