Strength absolute requirement for ortho?

if you can't bench 500lbs, then you should go into path or rads

Strength is helpful if you are going to manually do something like hold a reduction while someone nails the tibia/femur or forcefully reduce a distal radius fracture. However, we have plenty of tools/devices to use to get around these issues such as traction/distractors/traveling fixators etc.... In most cases, those tools provide better, safer, and more controlled situations.

At least in my practice, probably the only thing that I do that requires some hard work occasionally is reducing a dislocated total hip.

while it is helpful, one of the best residents from my program was a female who on a good day could bench maybe 30lbs. You will here it over and over again, finesse will win out over strength. I am no weakling but I agree. If you like ortho, put it out of your mind now and show people your brains.