4 Quick Stats About Orthopedic Surgery

1. There are approximately 25,500 orthopedic surgeons practicing in the United States, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery.

2. Adult knee surgery is the most popular subspecialty within orthopedics, with more than 34 percent of all orthopedic surgeons practicing this area of orthopedic medicine, according to the AAOS report Orthopaedic Practice in the U.S. 2008. Then comes arthroscopy (34.3 percent); sports medicine (33.4 percent); total joint (28.4 percent); shoulder (25.1 percent); adult hip (24.9 percent); trauma (16.5 percent); hand (15.4 percent); adult spine (11.0 percent); and foot and ankle (10.2 percent). Note: Surgeons may have selected more than one specialty area, so percentages do not total 100 percent.

3. Orthopedic surgeons perform an average of 32 orthopedic procedures each month, according to the Orthopaedic Practice in the U.S. 2008 report.

4. Orthopedic surgeons earn more than any other type of physician, with an average salary of $481,000 during 2008-2009, according to Merritt Hawkins & Associates’ 2009 Review of Physician and CRNA Recruiting Incentives.

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