Books to succeed on Ortho AIs

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rodmichael82

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I'm currently doing an elective in Ortho and honestly I have no idea about the whole ortho language.
My attending told me to buy essentials for orthopedics and read it.
Are there any recommended books that I should buy and start reading to at least get the basics of ortho down?
Right now I've seen the following:-

1. Netter's handbook of orthopaedic anatomy, and

2. Koval's Handbook of Fractures

Should I purchase Essentials of Orthopedic surgery?

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Netter's -know cold

Hand book of fractures - know cold

Hoppenfeld- good to have for surgical preparation and approaches. Not essential but useful

Miller's review of orthopedics - helpful but not essential.

That is all you will need. Wouldn't buy essentials.
 
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I've never heard of essentials, and have never seen anyone use it.

For an elective, Netter's is the most important book. Handbook of Fractures is a good reference, you should read the chapter on a patient you saw in the ER to see what the plan will be or to review a topic before you see it in the OR. Hoppenfeld's is good to prep for a case (try to ask residents what approaches to expect if possible), and orthobullets.com is a great quick reference for any ortho topic.
 
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Agree with the above. Netter's is great, as is Hoppenfeld to read to prepare for surgical cases. Besides that, Handbook of Fractures is good to have as a reference, especially when on trauma or on call, but no one has the whole book memorized.


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I really liked gowned and gloved,, was a huge help in prepping me for cases when i was a student. Orthobullets a great resource as well. agree with books above
 
Agreed, I may have misspoke a little with regards to knowing Handbook cold. I should have said there are some classifications in there that you should know cold as well as be proficient in some of the chapters (ankles, hip fx, DR, femur fxs, etc).
 
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I really liked gowned and gloved,, was a huge help in prepping me for cases when i was a student. Orthobullets a great resource as well. agree with books above
Netter's -know cold

Hand book of fractures - know cold

Hoppenfeld- good to have for surgical preparation and approaches. Not essential but useful

Miller's review of orthopedics - helpful but not essential.

That is all you will need. Wouldn't buy essentials.
I've never heard of essentials, and have never seen anyone use it.

For an elective, Netter's is the most important book. Handbook of Fractures is a good reference, you should read the chapter on a patient you saw in the ER to see what the plan will be or to review a topic before you see it in the OR. Hoppenfeld's is good to prep for a case (try to ask residents what approaches to expect if possible), and orthobullets.com is a great quick reference for any ortho topic.
Agree with the above. Netter's is great, as is Hoppenfeld to read to prepare for surgical cases. Besides that, Handbook of Fractures is good to have as a reference, especially when on trauma or on call, but no one has the whole book memorized.


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Thank you all for your responses. Are there any websites or youtube channels that cover the bread and butter Ortho procedures while focusing on the main anatomy?

Thanks in advance.
 
There are a few organizations working on this. JoMI.com, JBJS essential techniques, and AAOS Orthopedic Theater. You can try accessing these through you medical school library, but it seems like most have subscription fees and they don't seem to be comprehensive. Your best friend for orthopedic approaches and anatomy is (unfortunately) still the Hoppenfeld's book, no great video resources I have seen. I used to YouTube any procedure I was going to see to get a general idea, but most don't highlight key anatomy.
 
Agreed, I may have misspoke a little with regards to knowing Handbook cold. I should have said there are some classifications in there that you should know cold as well as be proficient in some of the chapters (ankles, hip fx, DR, femur fxs, etc).

I absolutely agree with this.


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I think some of these responses reflect an old reality. If you have a smart phone in your pocket, you don't need Handbook of Fractures. And, if you don't have any baseline knowledge on trauma care, the information in the Handbook aren't going to help much. Instead, I'd first of all recommend some basic chapters on internal fixation. Either Skeletal Trauma's relevant chapter, or Rockwood's, or the AO Handbook - whatever your library has access to - it is way better to understand principles then waste time memorizing random details you have no context for anyway. And go to the AO Foundation website and watch the videos on the basics of internal fixation, intramedullary fixation, and external fixation. Then, to prep for cases, check out the AOSurgery website/app. You can quickly see what the options are for treatment, what the approaches are, and learn about the major classifications. I think this website, made by the AO itself, puts Handbook into the history books.

Speaking of history, I am absolutely floored by the number of people who claim they want to spend the rest of their lives doing orthopaedic surgery, and don't even know what the word 'orthopaedic' means. When I interview, a blank stare to that question and you might as well move up your plane flight out of town. Want to know what an orthopaedic residency looks like? Read "Hot Lights, Cold Steel." Want to learn why orthopaedics treats fractures instead of general surgery (like in some countries, including the USA pre-WW2)? Read "Rearticulations of Orthopaedic Surgery." Really want to understand the concepts of reducing fractures, and learn from a legend at the same time? Read, "The Closed Treatment of Common Fractures" by Sir Charnley himself. Take an interest in the field you are passionate about, and you learn a lot while setting yourself apart.
 
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I think some of these responses reflect an old reality. If you have a smart phone in your pocket, you don't need Handbook of Fractures. And, if you don't have any baseline knowledge on trauma care, the information in the Handbook aren't going to help much. Instead, I'd first of all recommend some basic chapters on internal fixation. Either Skeletal Trauma's relevant chapter, or Rockwood's, or the AO Handbook - whatever your library has access to - it is way better to understand principles then waste time memorizing random details you have no context for anyway. And go to the AO Foundation website and watch the videos on the basics of internal fixation, intramedullary fixation, and external fixation. Then, to prep for cases, check out the AOSurgery website/app. You can quickly see what the options are for treatment, what the approaches are, and learn about the major classifications. I think this website, made by the AO itself, puts Handbook into the history books.

Speaking of history, I am absolutely floored by the number of people who claim they want to spend the rest of their lives doing orthopaedic surgery, and don't even know what the word 'orthopaedic' means. When I interview, a blank stare to that question and you might as well move up your plane flight out of town. Want to know what an orthopaedic residency looks like? Read "Hot Lights, Cold Steel." Want to learn why orthopaedics treats fractures instead of general surgery (like in some countries, including the USA pre-WW2)? Read "Rearticulations of Orthopaedic Surgery." Really want to understand the concepts of reducing fractures, and learn from a legend at the same time? Read, "The Closed Treatment of Common Fractures" by Sir Charnley himself. Take an interest in the field you are passionate about, and you learn a lot while setting yourself apart.
Just downloaded the AO app... that is a great tool. Thanks!
 
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I think some of these responses reflect an old reality. If you have a smart phone in your pocket, you don't need Handbook of Fractures. And, if you don't have any baseline knowledge on trauma care, the information in the Handbook aren't going to help much. Instead, I'd first of all recommend some basic chapters on internal fixation. Either Skeletal Trauma's relevant chapter, or Rockwood's, or the AO Handbook - whatever your library has access to - it is way better to understand principles then waste time memorizing random details you have no context for anyway. And go to the AO Foundation website and watch the videos on the basics of internal fixation, intramedullary fixation, and external fixation. Then, to prep for cases, check out the AOSurgery website/app. You can quickly see what the options are for treatment, what the approaches are, and learn about the major classifications. I think this website, made by the AO itself, puts Handbook into the history books.

Speaking of history, I am absolutely floored by the number of people who claim they want to spend the rest of their lives doing orthopaedic surgery, and don't even know what the word 'orthopaedic' means. When I interview, a blank stare to that question and you might as well move up your plane flight out of town. Want to know what an orthopaedic residency looks like? Read "Hot Lights, Cold Steel." Want to learn why orthopaedics treats fractures instead of general surgery (like in some countries, including the USA pre-WW2)? Read "Rearticulations of Orthopaedic Surgery." Really want to understand the concepts of reducing fractures, and learn from a legend at the same time? Read, "The Closed Treatment of Common Fractures" by Sir Charnley himself. Take an interest in the field you are passionate about, and you learn a lot while setting yourself apart.

Couldn't put "Hot lights cold steel" down... Great read. Thanks for the info
 
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Couldn't put "Hot lights cold steel" down... Great read. Thanks for the info
Glad you liked it! Some things are a bit dated (moonlighting less common or non-existent at many programs) or a bit location-specific (hard to image - though not impossible - to afford a house to rent for a quite-large family in many urban US areas), but it gives someone interesting in orthopaedics a look inside of residency. Now consider getting to know some of the major people in orthopaedics history by reading "Rearticulations of Orthopaedic Surgery," or Sir Arthur Keith's "Menders of the Maimed," or any of the books about Ernest Amory Codman.
 
Start off with orthobullets.com for information on procedures and pathology. Start with the trauma section and the high yield list.

Also download the AO surgery app, it is invaluable. Imagine handbook of fractures + all approaches on your smartphone. Plus its free!

That will get your started.
 
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Hey - I've posted on here before, but there is also a link to a GoodReads Listopia for people interested in orthopaedic surgery. It has some of the books people have mentioned. Looks sort of incomplete. Bet that if people from here were to all go and vote on it, people would get a sense of what is most recommended (instead of just one or two opinions): http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/94218.Interested_in_Orthopaedic_Surgery_#23318638
 
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