Orthopaedic surgery for joint replacements, such as hip, knee or ankle replacement, are successfully carried out in hospitals in Ireland day in day out, however mistakes can arise and the most common orthopedic claims arise from errors made during a hip replacement or during procedures involving the lumbar spine.

Fractures may also be missed by a doctor resulting in unnecessary pain and potentially irreversible damage.

Orthopaedic claims can arise as a result of the following errors by a doctor:

• Failure to arrange for an x-ray of a fracture
• Failure to diagnose a fracture following an x-ray
• Problems during hip, knee or ankle replacement
• Injury to the nerves during surgery
• Inadequate repair of fracture
• Failure to insert a screw or plate correctly
• Inadequate post-operative care resulting in infection to wound