What Medical Device Sales Reps Need To Know About Orthopedic Anatomy: The Basics

As a medical device sales representative working with products that address orthopedic conditions or help with orthopedic surgeries, a foundation of basic clinical knowledge is hugely valuable.

Being comfortable in an operating room takes time and education. Familiarity with orthopedic anatomy and terminology goes a long way in becoming an important part of the OR team.

Here are some basics about orthopedics that you should know as a medical sales professional and, most importantly, how to learn more through trusted orthopedic sales training.

Basic Orthopedic Anatomy Terminology

The adult skeleton has 206 bones in total.

Orthopedics is the branch of medicine that deals with all these bones and the rest of the musculoskeletal system – joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Issues arise from disease or injury.

Common orthopedic disorders include:

• Osteoarthritis: A common form of arthritis where the cartilage is worn down. It typically affects joints in the hands, knees, hips and spine, but can damage any joint.
• Orthopedic Deformity: A structural deviation of the bone’s shape from its normal alignment, length or size, which can be congenital or acquired.
• Fractures: Broken bones which, when more complex, can require surgery.
• Osteopenia and osteoporosis: Bones that have lost density or mass, weakening them and making them more vulnerable to fractures.

The “anatomical position” is a standard way to describe the position of a patient on a surgical table, as agreed upon by the international medical community.

Think of a person standing upright, with their lower limbs together, and facing forward. The head and eyes are looking forward. The arms are slightly apart so the hands do not touch the sides. This is important to know because it determines what parts of the body a surgeon or doctor is referring to.

• Anterior: Toward the front.
• Posterior: Toward the back.
• Superior: Above.
• Inferior: Below.
• Cephalic: Toward the head.
• Caudal: Toward the tail bone.
• Ventral: Toward the front or “breathing side.”
• Dorsal: Toward the back or “spine side.”

Bone Healing Concepts

The process for a bone to heal is complex and involves a series of steps to restore full function.

1. The inflammatory stage: When the bone first breaks and the area becomes inflamed. A blood clot forms around the fracture.
2. The reparative stage: A soft callus replaces the blood clot to hold the bone together as it starts to heal. This callus hardens over a period of weeks.
3. The remodeling stage: Regular bone replaces the hard callus and, over a period of months, the bone is reshaped to its previous form.

The amount of time it takes for a bone to heal depends on the type and severity of the fracture, as well as the general health of the patient.

In some cases, a simple cast is enough to help a bone heal without complications. But in more severe cases, the injured bone isn’t able to heal itself without additional intervention like surgery.

Fixation Fundamentals

Fracture fixation is a process to stabilize the injured bone so it can heal faster and return to full mobility with fewer complications. The most basic fixation for relatively simple fractures is casting.

More complex fixation can be done externally with rods screwed into the bone and attached to a stabilizing structure outside the body. Internal fixation requires surgery to implant a plate and screws, wires or nails to help repair the bone.

The type of fixation needed depends on anatomic location, fracture location and bone quality.

Orthopedic Medical Device Sales Salary

Top earners, based on a 2018 survey, showed that both surgical and medical device sales reps made in the range of $165,962 to $167,554. What does it take to be in the top percentile? Here’s how we can help.

The Most Important: How To Learn More

Learning the basics of orthopedic anatomy is an important way to gain the knowledge that will help set you up for success in the operating room and in your career as a medical device sales rep.

But figuring out a system to continue furthering your education is even more important than memorizing the basics.

With an orthopedic sales training course like OREdmasters, you have access to a comprehensive curriculum developed by surgeons and other leading industry professionals. The online, on-demand courses are focused on orthopedic anatomy and clinical education, allowing you to learn at your own pace to close the anatomic and clinical knowledge gap.

Enroll today in a wide range of courses about surgical subspecialties, orthopedic anatomy, orthopedic terminology, disease states and more.