This book represents a wide-ranging exploration of the field of orthopaedic surgery, describing briefly its origins, illuminating the many changes and developments over the last hundred years and examining the current trend towards specialization. The book begins by showing how orthopaedic surgery grew out of general surgery, how it expanded and fragmented into multiple subspecialties, and how it relies on the basic sciences of biomaterials, biomechanics and radiology. All of the chapters have been revised and updated from the first edition, taking account of significant advances in recent years and addressing key topics such as stem cell research and the growing importance of robotics.