65621 - Orthopaedics

Academic Year 2023/2024

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Single cycle degree programme (LMCU) in Medicine and Surgery (cod. 9210)

Learning outcomes

Describe the clinical manifestations, etiology, epidemiology, risk factors, natural history, diagnosis, staging, prognostic indicators and management of the major skeletal diseases and trauma-related conditions, with emphasis on those most commonly encountered in the clinical practice. Identify the major diagnostic and therapeutic options for each encountered clinical scenario, and discuss their benefits and limitations. Summarize decision-making algorithms for a correct differential diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment choice. Present and critically analyze clinical cases, discuss the differential diagnosis, and formulate appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for each case (Problem-Based Learning).

Course contents

- Orthopaedics and traumatology of the upper limb

- Knee ligaments injuries

- Meniscal injuries

- knee osteoarthritis: from the biological treatmentas to total joint replacement

- Hip osteoarthritis

- Inferior limb traumatology

- Ankle and foot diseases

- Spine diseases

- Pediatric orthopaedics

- Technology in orthopaedics

Readings/Bibliography

Ortopedia e traumatologia - di P. Randelli e A. Della Valle (PICCIN).

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons

Assessment methods

The final exam consists of an oral exam in which the student will be asked to discuss a topic taken from the program. As part of the test, questions will also be asked to verify the degree of deepening of the knowledge of the proposed topic and of the other topics of the program, the critical ability to link different knowledge together and the achievement of an organic understanding of the topics covered in class.
The exam will be considered passed if the student will demonstrate sufficient knowledge in each topic.


The achievement by the student of an organic vision of the topics covered in class, together with their critical use, the ability to make connections, the demonstration of possession of an expressive mastery and specific language will be evaluated with marks of excellence. The final mark of the Integrated Course, of which this teaching is a part, is the result of the weighted average between the individual modules. The attribution of honors is a discretionary faculty of the Commission.

The exam in its entire components or modules must be taken within the same session. This means that all modules of the integrated course must be taken in the same month. If it is not done in this way, the student will have to take all the modules of the integrated course again.

Definition of the final grade:

Preparation on a very limited number of topics covered in the course and analytical skills that emerge only with the help of the teacher, expression in overall correct language → 18-19;
Preparation on a limited number of topics covered in the course and autonomous analysis skills only on purely executive issues, expression in correct language → 20-24;
Knowledge of a large number of topics addressed in the course, ability to make independent choices of critical analysis, mastery of specific terminology → 25-29;
Substantially exhaustive preparation on the topics covered in the course, ability to make independent choices of critical analysis and connections, full mastery of the specific terminology and ability to argue and self-reflect → 30-30L.

Teaching tools

Lecture slides.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Zaffagnini