What is Board Certification?
Board certification really does matter.
More than a framed document on an office wall, board certification signifies that your physician has met important educational, evaluation and examination requirements. What's more, it demonstrates a commitment to ongoing medical education. All the physicians and sports medicine doctors at St. Croix Orthopaedics are either board certified or board eligible for certification by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS).
Your Surgeon is certified by The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Orthopaedics is the broad based medical and surgical specialty dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. The frequency and impact of these diseases and injures combined with recent advances in their diagnosis and treatment make orthopaedics a critical part of health care. The areas of orthopaedic surgery include:
- Pediatric Orthopaedics. Care of injuries, deformities and diseases of the bone, joints, muscles and tendons in children.
- Sports Medicine and Sports Injuries. Care of sports injuries related to athletic activities.
- Joint Replacement and Surgery in Arthritis. Care of patients with advanced arthritis including medical treatment, joint replacement - including shoulder, hip, and knee replacement surgery and other procedures.
- Foot and Ankle. Care of patients with injury and diseases of the foot and ankle, including total ankle replacements, bunions, and ingrown toenails.
- Hand Surgery. Surgical and nonsurgical treatment of the hand and wrist.
- Shoulder and Elbows. Care of diseases and injuries of the shoulder and elbow.
- Spine. Surgical and non-surgical treatment of deformities, injuries and disorders of the back and neck. Includes disc replacement and lower back surgery.
- Trauma and Fractures. Treatment of fractures and injuries due to physical trauma.
- Musculoskeletal Oncology. Treatment of benign and malignant tumors of bones, joints and muscles.
- Rehabilitation. Short and long-term programs to improve strength and mobility and optimize recovery.
- Arthroscopy and Arthroscopic Surgery. Diagnosis and treatment of joint diseases and injuries using arthroscopic methods - including knee and hip arthroscopy, endoscopic ACL surgery, and arthroscopic shoulder surgery.
- The orthopaedic surgeon works with many other surgical and medical specialists.
What is the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery?
The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Inc. was founded in 1934 as a private, voluntary, nonprofit, independent organization to serve the best interests of the public and the medical profession. These interests are achieved through the ABOS by establishing standards for the education of orthopaedic surgeons. These standards are evaluated by the ABOS through examinations and practice evaluations.
The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery is one of twenty-four certifying boards that have met the educational and organizational requirements necessary for membership in the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery are distinguished orthopaedic surgeons and sports medicine doctors who are active in patient care, education and research.
What Does it Mean to be Board Certified by the ABOS?
Certification by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery means that the orthopaedic surgeon has met the specified educational, evaluation, and examination requirements of the Board.
Maintenance of Certification
Since 1986 the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery has issued time limited certificates. Those orthopaedic surgeons and sports medicine doctors who were certified in 1986 and thereafter must maintain their certification by completing 120 hours of pertinent continuing medical education, undergoing a stringent peer review process to make certain they are respected by their peers and practicing ethical orthopaedic surgery, and taking and passing a written or oral examination. This maintenance of certification process must be performed every seven to ten years.
Subspecialty Certification
The ABOS also awards Certificates of Added Qualifications in Surgery of the Hand. Sub-specialization in hand surgery requires at least one year of education, endorsement by the program director, peer review, documented experience in a minimum number of hand surgery cases of specified types of problems and a written examination on hand surgery. These Certificates of Added Qualifications are also valid for ten years and also require a recertification process at the end of the ten years.
