Is it Orthopaedics or Orthopedics?
Nicholas Andry coined the word “orthopaedics”, derived from Greek words for “correct” or “straight” (“orthos”) and “child” (“paidion”), in 1741, when he published Orthopaedia: or the Art of Correcting and Preventing Deformities in Children.
In American English, orthopedics is commonly seen, in keeping with the tendency of all dialects of English, especially American English, to reduce paed to ped, although the majority of university and residency programs, and even the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, still use Andry’s spelling. In Commonwealth English, the spelling orthopaedics is far more common, with orthopedics considered non-standard, though acceptable.
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