What type of doctor does repairs like for a torn tendon?

Orthopedic surgeons are doctors who specialize in operating on the areas of the musculoskeletal system. This includes bones, ligaments (tissue that holds the bones/joints together), tendons (tissue that holds muscle to bone), and muscles.

Surgeons who choose this specialty go through medical school as do other doctors. They then choose to follow a residency (specialization) in orthopedics. Orthopedic surgeons can perform procedures that range from amputating an arm or a leg, to using a tiny camera and surgical instruments to see inside a knee to repair a tear in the knee cartilage.

The surgeons can also specialize within the specialty. This means they can be pediatric orthopedic surgeons, work in sports medicine, focus on reconstruction, or work with patients who have been in accidents, to name a few.