What Does an Orthopedic Physician Assistant Do?
National PA Week begins October 6, giving us the perfect opportunity to recognize the physician assistants who play an important role in caring for our patients at Arthritis & Sports Orthopaedics. We’re also taking the occasion to take a closer look at our midlevel team and explain what these providers actually do as part of an orthopedic practice.
If your next appointment is scheduled with a physician assistant, or PA, you may have a few questions. Can a PA diagnose an injury? Can they order an MRI or give an injection? And if you end up needing surgery, when does the orthopedic surgeon become involved?
An orthopedic physician assistant is a licensed medical professional who helps evaluate, diagnose, and treat conditions involving the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Depending on their training and role, PAs may examine patients, order diagnostic tests, provide treatments and procedures, assist surgeons in the operating room, and care for patients before and after surgery.
At Arthritis & Sports Orthopaedics, our physician assistants are part of the larger orthopedic care team. They work alongside our physicians, therapists, and other clinical staff to help patients move from diagnosis through treatment and recovery.
This National PA Week, we’re taking a closer look at what orthopedic physician assistants do, how they work with our surgeons, and the role our midlevel team plays throughout a patient’s care.
Key Takeaways
Physician assistants are licensed medical professionals. They are not medical assistants.
Orthopedic PAs can evaluate and treat many conditions involving the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Depending on their role, PAs may diagnose conditions, order imaging, recommend treatment, prescribe medications, and perform certain procedures.
Many orthopedic PAs also assist surgeons in the operating room.
PAs commonly care for patients before and after orthopedic surgery.
Seeing a PA doesn't necessarily mean you won't see your orthopedic surgeon.
PAs and surgeons work as part of the same care team, with the appropriate provider involved based on your condition and treatment needs.
A PA's specific responsibilities depend on training, experience, credentials, state requirements, and the practice where they work.
What Does a Physician Assistant Do in Orthopedics?
An orthopedic physician assistant helps evaluate and treat musculoskeletal conditions as part of an orthopedic care team.
That role can cover quite a bit.
Depending on the PA's responsibilities, they may take your medical history, perform a physical examination, order and review diagnostic tests, diagnose a condition, discuss treatment options, perform certain procedures, assist during surgery, and provide follow-up care.
For patients, that means a PA may be involved at several points during treatment rather than appearing for just one type of visit.
Randall S. Peyton, MD, President and CEO of Arthritis & Sports Orthopaedics, explains how physician assistants fit into the practice’s team-based approach to care: “Our PAs are an important part of the orthopedic team. They know our patients, understand our treatment plans, and help us provide continuity of care from the first visit through recovery.”
What Types of Problems Can an Orthopedic PA Treat?
Orthopedic PAs may care for a wide range of musculoskeletal problems.
Depending on their experience and role within the practice, these can include:
Arthritis
Sprains and strains
Sports injuries
Joint pain
Fractures
Tendon and ligament injuries
Spine-related complaints
Postoperative concerns
General orthopedic injuries
Some PAs develop additional experience in particular areas, such as joint replacement, sports medicine, spine care, fracture care, or postoperative management.
The exact role isn't identical for every PA. Training, experience, and the needs of the practice all play a part.
What Happens When You See an Orthopedic PA?
An appointment with an orthopedic PA may look much like other orthopedic visits you've had.
Usually, the conversation comes first. The PA may ask when your symptoms began, whether there was an injury, where you feel pain, what makes it better or worse, and how the problem is affecting your daily life.
Then comes the examination.
Depending on what's bothering you, the PA may check your range of motion, strength, swelling, tenderness, stability, reflexes, or other findings.
Those pieces of information help determine what should happen next.
Can a Physician Assistant Diagnose an Orthopedic Injury?
Yes. Physician assistants can evaluate patients and diagnose medical conditions within their professional scope and clinical role.
A diagnosis usually doesn't come from one finding alone. Your medical history, physical examination, imaging, and other testing may all help build the picture.
If the problem is more complex or additional physician expertise is needed, the PA can involve the appropriate orthopedic surgeon or another specialist.
Can a PA Order an X-Ray or MRI?
An orthopedic PA may order diagnostic testing when it's appropriate for the patient's condition and falls within the PA's scope of practice.
That can include imaging such as X-rays or MRI scans.
Not every painful joint or orthopedic injury needs imaging, though. The decision depends on your symptoms, physical examination, medical history, and whether the results are likely to change the diagnosis or treatment plan.
What Treatments Can an Orthopedic Physician Assistant Provide?
A PA's role doesn't stop once a diagnosis is made. They can also participate directly in treatment.
Depending on the provider's training, credentials, and responsibilities, orthopedic care may include:
Developing treatment recommendations
Managing medications
Recommending or referring for physical therapy
Performing joint or soft-tissue injections
Casting or splinting
Providing wound care
Removing sutures or staples
Conducting follow-up examinations
Referring patients to another specialist when needed
Not every PA performs every procedure. Responsibilities can vary from one provider and practice to another.
Can an Orthopedic PA Give Injections?
Some orthopedic PAs perform joint and soft-tissue injections as part of their clinical responsibilities.
Whether an injection makes sense depends first on the diagnosis and treatment plan. Whether a specific PA performs the procedure also depends on that provider's training and clinical role.
An injection shouldn't automatically be viewed as the next step for every painful joint. The first goal is to understand what's causing the symptoms. Treatment can then be chosen based on that diagnosis.
Can a Physician Assistant Prescribe Medication?
PAs may prescribe medications within the authority allowed by state law and their clinical practice. Which medication is appropriate depends on the condition being treated, your medical history, other medications you take, and the overall treatment plan.
Do Physician Assistants Assist in Orthopedic Surgery?
Yes. Many orthopedic PAs divide their time between the clinic and the operating room.
A surgical PA may assist an orthopedic surgeon during an operation as part of the surgical team. Their involvement may also begin before the procedure and continue after it, giving patients another familiar member of the care team throughout the process.
What Does a PA Do Before Surgery?
Before an operation, a PA may help with different parts of the preoperative process.
Depending on the procedure and practice, this might include reviewing your medical history, discussing parts of the treatment plan, answering questions, helping coordinate testing, and providing instructions for the period leading up to surgery.
What Does a PA Do During Orthopedic Surgery?
During an operation, a trained orthopedic PA may assist the surgeon as a member of the operating-room team.
The orthopedic surgeon performs the operation. The PA's specific responsibilities depend on the procedure, their training, the surgical team, and the requirements of the hospital or surgery center.
What Does a PA Do After Orthopedic Surgery?
The PA's role may continue well after you leave the operating room.
PAs commonly participate in postoperative care. They may check how an incision is healing, review pain and swelling, evaluate movement and function, remove sutures or staples when appropriate, discuss activity restrictions, and help coordinate rehabilitation.
They're also in a position to recognize concerns that need further evaluation by the surgeon.
Edwin Encarnacion, PA-C, emphasizes the role PAs can play in helping patients through the recovery process: “Orthopedic care doesn't end when the surgery is over. Our PAs help our doctors follow patients through recovery, monitor their progress, and make sure questions or concerns are addressed along the way.”
Why Am I Seeing a PA Instead of the Orthopedic Surgeon?
Orthopedic care is often a team effort.
That means the surgeon doesn't necessarily need to personally perform every part of every visit. A PA may manage many aspects of evaluation, nonsurgical treatment, follow-up, and postoperative care while working with the physicians and other members of the orthopedic team.
You may see a PA for:
A new orthopedic problem
Follow-up after an injury
Review of imaging or test results
Nonsurgical treatment
A postoperative visit
Questions or concerns during recovery
Changes in your symptoms
Who you see can depend on your condition, where you are in the treatment process, and what type of care you need at that visit.
Does Seeing a PA Mean I Won't See the Surgeon?
Not necessarily.
A PA may be able to manage much of your care within their role while remaining part of the larger orthopedic team. If surgery becomes a possibility, the condition is complex, or additional physician input is needed, the appropriate surgeon can become involved.
The purpose isn't to keep patients away from their surgeon. It's to make sure the right member of the care team is involved at the right point in treatment.
Cory Kraftson, PA-C, notes that seeing a physician assistant doesn’t mean a patient is separated from their orthopedic surgeon: “Seeing one of our PAs doesn't separate a patient from the surgeon. We're part of the same team. If the patient's condition changes or surgery needs to be discussed, we work together to make sure that happens.”
Physician Assistant vs. Orthopedic Surgeon: What's the Difference?
Both physician assistants and orthopedic surgeons can play important roles in musculoskeletal care. Their training and responsibilities, however, are different.
Orthopedic Physician Assistant | Orthopedic Surgeon | |
Evaluates patients | Yes | Yes |
Diagnoses orthopedic conditions | Within professional scope | Yes |
Orders diagnostic tests | Within professional scope | Yes |
Provides nonsurgical treatment | Often | Yes |
Performs certain office procedures | Depending on training and role | Yes |
Assists during surgery | May | Performs/leads the surgery |
Performs orthopedic surgery as the surgeon | No | Yes |
Provides postoperative care | Often | Yes |
A PA is a licensed medical professional, but a PA is not a physician or orthopedic surgeon.
The roles are different, but they're designed to work together.
What Does PA-C Mean?
PA-C stands for Physician Assistant-Certified.
The credential means the PA has met national certification requirements through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
PAs must also meet applicable state licensing requirements before practicing.
You may see “PA-C” after a provider's name on the practice website, an appointment reminder, or your medical record.
What Is the Difference Between a PA and a Nurse Practitioner?
Physician assistants and nurse practitioners, or NPs, are both licensed medical professionals who can evaluate and treat patients. They come from different professional training models, though.
In an orthopedic practice like Arthritis & Sports, a lot of their day-to-day responsibilities may overlap.
For patients, the most useful question often isn't simply which letters appear after a provider's name. It's what that particular provider is trained and qualified to do within the practice.
Both PAs and NPs can be important members of the orthopedic team. Their specific responsibilities depend on education, training, experience, credentials, and their clinical role.
How Do PAs Fit Into the Arthritis & Sports Care Team?
At Arthritis & Sports Orthopaedics, physician assistants and nurse practitioners work alongside our orthopedic physicians and other healthcare professionals.
Depending on what a patient needs, they may be involved in:
Evaluation and diagnosis
Nonsurgical treatment
Diagnostic testing
Procedures
Surgical care
Postoperative follow-up
Recovery and rehabilitation planning
Working as a team can also help maintain continuity throughout treatment.
For example, a patient might first meet a PA while being evaluated for an injury, see that provider again while trying nonsurgical treatment, and encounter the PA later during surgical or postoperative care.
Meet Our Physician Assistants at Arthritis & Sports
Our physician assistants bring experience from different areas of musculoskeletal medicine and patient care. Our PAs work alongside our orthopedic physicians in caring for patients throughout our Northern Virginia practice.
Patients can visit our Physician Assistants & Nurse Practitioners page to learn more about the team, their experience, and the role they play at Arthritis & Sports.
Celebrating Our PAs During National PA Week
National PA Week is observed October 6–12 each year.
It's a time to recognize the PAs caring for patients in clinics, hospitals, operating rooms, and many other healthcare settings.
At Arthritis & Sports, our PAs are involved in many stages of orthopedic care—from a patient's first evaluation through treatment, surgery, and recovery. Our team of PAs also supports the next generation of advanced practice providers through PA and NP clinical rotations.
We're grateful for the expertise, teamwork, and commitment they bring to our patients and practice every day.
A Team Approach to Orthopedic Care
It's understandable to have questions when an appointment is scheduled with a provider you haven't met before. If that provider is a PA, you're seeing a licensed medical professional who is part of your orthopedic care team.
Depending on what you need, your PA may evaluate an injury, order testing, recommend treatment, perform certain procedures, assist in surgery, or help guide you through recovery. And when your condition calls for the expertise of an orthopedic surgeon, the team works together to make sure the appropriate physician is involved.
If a bone, joint, muscle, or sports injury is keeping you from the activities you enjoy, request an appointment with the Arthritis & Sports Orthopaedics team in Northern Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions About Orthopedic Physician Assistants
What Does an Orthopedic Physician Assistant Do?
An orthopedic physician assistant helps evaluate, diagnose, and treat conditions involving the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Depending on their role, PAs may order diagnostic tests, recommend treatment, perform certain procedures, assist orthopedic surgeons during surgery, and provide follow-up care.
Can a Physician Assistant Diagnose an Orthopedic Injury?
Yes. Physician assistants can evaluate patients and diagnose medical conditions within their professional scope and clinical role. They may use your history, physical examination, imaging, and other information to reach a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. If the case is more complex, an orthopedic surgeon or another specialist can become involved.
Can a PA Order an MRI or X-Ray?
Yes. An orthopedic PA may order diagnostic imaging when it's appropriate and within their scope of practice. Whether you need an X-ray, MRI, or another test depends on the condition, your examination findings, and whether the results are likely to affect your treatment.
Can an Orthopedic PA Give Cortisone Injections?
Some orthopedic PAs perform joint or soft-tissue injections, including cortisone injections, as part of their clinical responsibilities. Whether an injection is appropriate—and whether a particular PA performs it—depends on the patient's condition, the provider's training, and the treatment plan.
Can a Physician Assistant Assist in Orthopedic Surgery?
Yes. Many orthopedic PAs assist surgeons in the operating room as members of the surgical team. They may also participate in care before and after the procedure. Their exact responsibilities depend on their training, credentials, the operation, and the surgical setting.
Can a PA See Me After Orthopedic Surgery?
Yes. Postoperative care is a common part of orthopedic PA practice. A PA may check your incision, evaluate pain and swelling, review your progress, discuss activity restrictions, remove sutures or staples when appropriate, and identify concerns that need the surgeon's attention.
Should I See a PA or an Orthopedic Surgeon?
The appropriate provider depends on your condition and where you are in treatment. A PA can evaluate and treat many orthopedic problems and provide follow-up care. If surgery is being considered, the condition is complex, or additional physician expertise is needed, the orthopedic surgeon can become involved.
Are Physician Assistants Doctors?
No. Physician assistants are licensed medical professionals, but they are not physicians. PAs are trained to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients within their professional scope and to work as part of the healthcare team.
