The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the basic factor determining a patient’s dignity and quality of life, which is the ability to function autonomously, maintaining self-reliance and independence. In disorders of the locomotor system, and orthopaedic surgeries, such as total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty, allow the patient – after the rehabilitation period – to carry out life tasks without the help of others. The article discusses ways of understanding patient autonomy as well as quality of life and the determinants of both. Then, it formulates premises for the treatment of orthopaedic patients that allows us to optimize their well-being, satisfaction with surgery, and full use of the resulting improvement in health. The basic assumptions that make up the model of the work of a multidisciplinary team in orthopaedic surgery departments has also been formulated.