While the number of orthopedic procedures — particularly knee and hip replacements — being performed in ASCs continues to grow, this rapid growth creates operational and administrative challenges.

Cincinnati-based Beacon Orthopaedics performed its 4,000th total joint replacement in an ASC setting, the practice announced March 15.

Barbara Bergin, MD, orthopedic surgeon at Austin-based Texas Orthopedics, Sports & Rehabilitation Associates, spoke about the growth of women in the orthopedic field and her outlook on ASCs on "Becker's Ambulatory Surgery Centers Podcast."

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, about 750,000 total knee replacements and 450,000 total hip replacements were performed in the U.S. annually, with wound complications the No. 1 reason for hospital readmissions.

OrthoGrid Systems launched its OrthoGrid Hip software application Feb. 23, the company announced.

Michael Ast, MD, an attending orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery and assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, has focused on outpatient orthopedics throughout his career.

Becker's ASC Review reported on 23 ASCs that added or debuted surgical robots in 2020.

Inefficient, paper-based business processes have become incompatible with today’s demanding healthcare environment where practices face massive complexities, ranging from reimbursement challenges to compliance hurdles — and this was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Orthopedic surgeons in independent practices report higher compensation than their counterparts employed by hospitals, and in some areas the gap widens as physicians gain more experience.

Here are eight orthopedic ASCs that were opened or announced so far in 2021:

Orthopedic surgeons have the third-highest median salary among specialties examined in the "Physician Compensation Report 2020" from Physicians Thrive, a financial planning company.

A Gilford, N.H.-based orthopedic practice will close after a local hospital decided not to renew its service agreement, according to a report in The Laconia Daily Sun.

Taylor Cera, COO of Orthopaedic Surgery Center in Youngstown, Ohio, joined the Becker's Healthcare Ambulatory Surgery Centers podcasts recently to talk about the strategic plan for his center in 2021.

Taylor Cera, COO of Orthopaedic Surgery Center in Youngstown, Ohio, joined the Becker's Healthcare Ambulatory Surgery Centers podcasts Feb. 5 to outline his top plans for the center in 2021 and discuss the things he's most concerned about today.

Ritesh Shah, MD, chief of orthopedic surgery at Chicago-based Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, said adopting new technology and having a multimodal pain pathway were among seven factors needed for the best outcomes in outpatient total joint replacements.

Tyler Marshall, MD, an orthopedic sports medicine physician in Birmingham, Ala., outlines the big challenges and opportunities in outpatient orthopedics today.

Despite being prescribed similar amounts of opioids as inpatients, outpatient total joint replacement patients were less likely to become persistent opioid users, according to a Jan. 12 study published inThe Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. 

Midcareer orthopedic surgeons are generally paid the most in the Midwest and on the East Coast, according to Medscape's online salary comparison tool, the physician salary explorer.

Norwalk-based OrthoConnecticut Coastal Orthopedics performs awake hand surgery, local news affiliate wtnh.com reported Jan. 28.

Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance broke ground on a new medical office facility that will include a surgery center in Murfreesboro, Tenn.