Integration of orthopedic and spine specialty hospitals, expansion of orthopedics into the outpatient setting, and collaboration between pediatric and adult orthopedic programs are three untapped areas of growth.
Whether it be operational complexities or fragmentation between systems, orthopedic groups are leaving some meat on the bone when it comes to progress and development.
Four orthopedic surgeons and leaders recently connected with Becker’s to share where they see potential growth opportunities that the orthopedic industry hasn’t fully taken advantage of just yet.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: Where do you see the most untapped growth opportunity in orthopedics right now, and what prevents most groups from capturing it?
Robert Brady, MD. Orthopedic Surgeon of Coastal Orthopedics (Norwalk, Conn.): The most significant untapped growth opportunity in orthopedics today lies in two areas: the continued development of integrated orthopedic and spine specialty hospitals, and the strategic deployment of AI across clinical and administrative workflows.
First, closer alignment between orthopedic groups and health systems to build dedicated orthopedic and spine specialty hospitals represents a major opportunity. These models drive higher-quality, more efficient care by standardizing protocols, rigorously tracking outcomes and focusing resources on a defined patient population. When executed well, they create meaningful alignment between hospitals and physicians through shared incentives, which improves engagement, throughput and ultimately patient outcomes. Despite this, many markets have not fully embraced or optimized this model due to cultural resistance, misaligned financial structures, and the operational complexity required to execute it effectively.
Second, AI remains significantly underleveraged in orthopedics, particularly in the ambulatory setting. There is enormous potential for AI to streamline documentation, optimize coding and billing, and proactively address insurance denials — many of which are already being driven by AI on the payer side. Practices that adopt these tools can dramatically improve efficiency, reduce administrative burden and enhance revenue cycle performance. The primary barriers here are lack of infrastructure, limited technical expertise and hesitation around adoption in a highly regulated environment.
Ultimately, the groups that will capture the next phase of growth in orthopedics are those that embrace alignment — both structurally with health systems and technologically through AI — while maintaining a disciplined focus on quality, data, and operational execution.
Lori Pagan. CEO of Orthopaedics NorthEast (Fort Wayne, Ind.): One of the most meaningful growth opportunities in orthopedics that still remains underdeveloped is the continued migration of appropriate procedures to the outpatient setting — paired with a deliberate, systemwide approach to care delivery.
While progress has been made, particularly in total joints, the real opportunity lies in fully integrating clinical pathways, site-of-service strategy and the patient experience. This includes preoperative optimization, standardized anesthesia protocols and coordinated recovery. When aligned, it improves access, lowers total cost of care and enhances outcomes.
What prevents most groups from capturing this is fragmentation. Misaligned incentives between hospitals, ASCs and physician groups, along with legacy scheduling patterns and inconsistent infrastructure, limit scalability. Too often, site-of-service decisions are not driven by a coordinated, data-informed strategy.
At ONE, in close partnership with Parkview Health, we’ve built an integrated orthopedic service line that allows us to intentionally match patient, procedure and setting. We’ve also developed a data model with AI capabilities that helps our schedulers identify appropriate ASC candidates early in the process. That level of alignment is what enables sustainable growth while maintaining quality and experience.
Marceline Rogers. COO and Senior Vice President, Orthopedics of Parkview Health (Fort Wayne, Ind.): I believe the most untapped growth opportunity in orthopedics today lies in enhancing alignment across clinical care, site of service and decision-making throughout the full care spectrum. We’re seeing a distinct shift: Lower acuity, high-volume procedures are increasingly moving to ASCs, allowing for greater efficiency, improved access and better cost alignment. Simultaneously, there’s tremendous potential in developing regional centers for complex orthopedic care, which can elevate brand recognition, attract referrals and increase overall case volume.
Another vital growth area is leveraging data to drive quality, efficiency and value-based care. This includes standardizing care pathways, improving patient outcomes, optimizing resource utilization and fostering stronger relationships with employers and bundled care models.
However, fragmentation remains a significant barrier. Misalignment among hospitals, surgeons and outpatient facilities — as well as inconsistent data and competing incentives — often prevents organizations from scaling high-performing models. One of the greatest advantages we’ve observed is the impact of strong alignment between physicians and the health system. When clinical leadership, operational strategy and incentives are unified, it becomes far easier to implement meaningful change, scale high-quality care and drive sustained growth.
Groups that can achieve clinical, operational, and strategic alignment — especially with robust physician leadership — will be best positioned for the next phase of growth in orthopedics.
At Parkview Health, we are fortunate to have a unique partnership with our private practice group, Orthopedics Northeast. Our leadership is fully aligned and deeply committed to our patients. As a physician-led organization, we truly value our physicians’ perspectives and prioritize integrating care delivery to best serve our patients and their families.
Burt Yaszay, MD. Chief, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine of Seattle Children’s Hospital: From my perspective, leading a pediatric orthopedic group, I see the growth opportunity as really a growth necessity. Innovations in immunologic and genetic treatments as well as improved medical management will increase the number of patients with musculoskeletal conditions transitioning from pediatrics to adulthood. This is a need that has been mostly met by pediatric and some academic institutions developing transition programs. This need will continue to grow and become more widespread than just what can be served by regional centers. The obstacle in expanding these programs is the necessary knowledge gap between the pediatric team and adult teams. Thankfully, there are societies such as the Scoliosis Research Society that are providing a venue for this information exchange as we better understand these conditions as a continuum.
At the Becker's 23rd Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC + The Future of Spine Conference, taking place June 11-13 in Chicago, spine surgeons, orthopedic leaders and ASC executives will come together to explore minimally invasive techniques, ASC growth strategies and innovations shaping the future of outpatient spine care. Apply for complimentary registration now.
