Expanding roles of the orthopaedic surgeon.

Abstract

Many sources predict an oversupply of orthopaedic surgeons in the United States continuing into the next 30 years. The most attractive solution to this problem is to expand the scope of orthopaedic practice by regaining direct patient access to orthopaedic specialty care, by developing and bringing new technologies and treatments to the marketplace quickly, and by developing alternatives to the typical orthopaedic practice such as expanding nonoperative care, improving the quality of the office practice, and exploring volunteer opportunities.