Probably the single most important thing you can do to help land a spot in ortho is kick butt on an AI. By kick butt, I don't mean suck up, answer every pimp question, try to make yourself seem superior to everyone else rotating and half the residents. I mean show up early, work hard, never complain about the hours, help out your fellow students and residents when possible and get along with everyone, residents, attendings, scrub techs, and nurses. After that, Step I, AOA, and grades are probably the next most important thing you can do for an application. Research helps, but is not a must. Obviously, high powered academic places will look at it as more important, but it won't kill you.
As ortho1 stated, being well rounded only helps you. I have zero research experience, but like you have multiple community volunteer experiences and hobbies that I made apparent on my personal statement and ERAS app. At my interviews, I was asked about my experiences volunteering as a Big Brother, for Girl Scouts, and coaching a high schoole football team. I also made it clear that I was an avid carpenter and loved working on home improvement projects. Several interviewers asked me about my most recent project, and one even pimped me for about two minutes on the type of air nailers and nails I used for various projects. I have a feeling that this is what helped me match at my top choice. My grades, AOA status, and board scores got the interviews, but my life experiences and ability to carry on a conversation is why I matched.
Good luck.
