Joint Replacement Surgery

Training path

1. College (bachelor’s degree) 4 years
2. Medical school (MD or DO) 4 years
3. Orthopaedic surgery residency 5 years
4. Adult reconstructive (joint replacement) fellowship 1 year

Training after medical school: 6 years. From the start of college: about 14 years.

Usual minimum program lengths from ACGME program requirements. Some doctors take extra research years or a second fellowship.

Who they are

• MD (DOs make up the rest) 90%
• Women 6%
• Graduated 35 or more years ago 13%
• Offer telehealth 16%
• Accept Medicare’s approved amount 95%

Sex and credentials from NPPES. Graduation year, telehealth and Medicare assignment from Medicare Care Compare, which covers clinicians enrolled in Medicare.

What they do most for Medicare patients

• Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 20-29 minutes 219,264
• Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-39 minutes 154,707
• Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from large joint 151,288
• X-ray of knee, 3 views 111,818
• X-ray of hip, 2-3 views 97,823
• X-ray of knee, 4 or more views 87,955
• New patient office or other outpatient visit, 45-59 minutes 61,698
• Replacement of knee joint, both sides of knee 49,120
• New patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-44 minutes 43,769
• Therapy procedure using exercise to develop strength, endurance, range of motion, and flexibility, each 15 minutes 37,931
• Replacement of thigh bone and hip joint with prosthesis 33,348
• X-ray of knee, 1-2 views 28,011

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Services billed to traditional Medicare in 2023 (Physician and Other Practitioners data); drugs given in the office are left out.

What they prescribe most

• Meloxicam 16.9%
• Oxycodone Hcl (Oxycontin, Roxicodone, Roxybond) 9.1%
• Amoxicillin 9.0%
• Celecoxib (Elyxyb, Celebrex) 8.9%
• Tramadol Hcl 8.0%
• Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen) 5.2%
• Diclofenac Sodium (Pennsaid) 4.4%
• Oxycodone Hcl/Acetaminophen (Endocet, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen, Percocet) 3.4%
• Mupirocin 3.2%
• Cephalexin 3.2%
• Methylprednisolone (Medrol) 3.1%
• Gabapentin (Gralise, Neurontin) 3.1%
• Ondansetron Hcl 2.4%
• Clindamycin Hcl 1.7%
• Cefadroxil 1.7%

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Share of this specialty’s Medicare Part D prescriptions in 2024, including refills. Select a drug to see which of these clinicians prescribe it most, and where.

Hospitals where the most work

• Hospital for Special Surgery New York, NY 22 Joint Replacement Surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery
• Cleveland Clinic Cleveland, OH 16 Joint Replacement Surgery at Cleveland Clinic
• Memorial Hermann Hospital System Houston, TX 15 Joint Replacement Surgery at Memorial Hermann Hospital System
• Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital Creve Coeur, MO 14 Joint Replacement Surgery at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital
• Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Alexandria, VA 13 Joint Replacement Surgery at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital
• Virginia Hospital Center Arlington, VA 13 Joint Replacement Surgery at Virginia Hospital Center
• Northwestern Medicine Central Dupage Hospital Winfield, IL 12 Joint Replacement Surgery at Northwestern Medicine Central Dupage Hospital
• Barnes Jewish Hospital Saint Louis, MO 12 Joint Replacement Surgery at Barnes Jewish Hospital
• St Joseph's University Medical Center Inc Paterson, NJ 12 Joint Replacement Surgery at St Joseph's University Medical Center Inc
• New York-Presbyterian Hospital New York, NY 11 Joint Replacement Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital

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Clinicians who list the hospital in Medicare Care Compare. The number opens the list of who works there.

Schools they graduated from most

• Georgetown University School of Medicine 26
• Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University 18
• University of Cincinnati College of Medicine 15
• Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons 14
• Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 14
• Temple University School of Medicine 14
• Wayne State University School of Medicine 14
• Indiana University School of Medicine 13
• Ohio State University College of Medicine 13
• Tufts University School of Medicine 11

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From Medicare Care Compare (Medicare-enrolled clinicians only).