Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics, also spelled orthopaedics, is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system.  PCRF has sponsored dozens of volunteer orthopedic surgery missions since our founding, mostly in pediatrics but also in joint replacement, spine surgery, and arthroscopic surgery.  In the area of pediatric orthopedic surgery, PCRF has been building a program through our Pediatric Orthopedic and Education Training program (POET), which includes training for local young residents in areas where there are gaps in the Palestinian health sector.  The head of our POET program and the medical advisory team for PCRF in orthopedics is Dr. Anna Vergun, an assistant professor of pediatric orthopedics at the University of North Carolina.