knee replacement repair of femoral neck fracture repair of trochanteric fracture debridement of skin/muscle/bone/ fracture knee arthroscopy repair of both menisci hip replacement shoulder arthroscopy/distal clavicle excision repair of rotator cuff tendon repair fracture of radius (bone)/ulna laminectomy repair of ankle fracture (bimalleolar type) shoulder arthroscopy and debridement lumbar spinal fusion repair fracture of the distal part of radius low back intervertebral disc surgery incise finger tendon sheath repair of ankle fracture (fibula) repair of femoral shaft fracture repair of trochanteric fracture a typical schedule for a practicing orthopedic surgeon involves 50–55 hours of work per week divided among clinic, surgery, various administrative duties, and possibly teaching and/or research if in an academic setting. according to the american association of medical colleges in 2021, the average work week of an orthopedic surgeon was 57 hours. this is a very low estimation however, as research derived from a 2013 survey of orthopedic surgeons who self identified as "highly successful" due to their prominent positions in the field indicated average work weeks of 70 hours or more. arthroscopy main article: arthroscopy the use of arthroscopic techniques has been particularly important for injured patients. arthroscopy was pioneered in the early 1950s by dr. masaki watanabe of japan to perform minimally invasive cartilage surgery and reconstructions of torn ligaments. arthroscopy allows patients to recover from the surgery in a matter of days, rather than the weeks to months required by conventional, "open" surgery; it is a very popular technique. knee arthroscopy is one of the most common operations performed by orthopedic surgeons today, and is often combined with meniscectomy or chondroplasty. the majority of upper-extremity outpatient orthopedic procedures are now performed arthroscopically. arthroplasty main article: arthroplasty arthroplasty is an orthopedic surgery where the articular surface of a musculoskeletal joint is replaced, remodeled, or realigned by osteotomy or some other procedure. it is an elective procedure that is done to relieve pain and restore function to the joint after damage by arthritis (rheumasurgery) or some other type of trauma. as well as the standard total knee replacement surgery, the uni-compartmental knee replacement, in which only one weight-bearing surface of an arthritic knee is replaced, is a popular alternative. joint replacements are available for other joints on a variable basis, most notably the hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle, spine, and finger joints. in recent years, surface replacement of joints, in particular the hip joint, has become more popular amongst younger and more active patients. this type of operation delays the need for the more traditional and less bone-conserving total hip replacement, but carries significant risks of early failure from fracture and bone death. one of the main problems with joint replacements is wear of the bearing surfaces of components. this can lead to damage to the surrounding bone and contribute to eventual failure of the implant. the use of alternative bearing surfaces has increased in recent years, particularly in younger patients, in an attempt to improve the wear characteristics of joint replacement components. these include ceramics and all-metal implants (as opposed to the original metal-on-plastic). the plastic chosen is usually ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, which can also be altered in ways that may improve wear characteristics. epidemiology between 2001 and 2016, the prevalence of musculoskeletal procedures drastically increased in the u.s, from 17.9% to 24.2% of all operating-room (or) procedures performed during hospital stays. in a study of hospitalizations in the united states in 2012, spine and joint procedures were common among all age groups except infants. spinal fusion was one of the five most common or procedures performed in every age group except infants younger than 1 year and adults 85 years and older. laminectomy was common among adults aged 18–84 years. knee arthroplasty and hip replacement were in the top five or procedures for adults aged 45 years and older.