State-level Trends in the Orthopaedic Workforce

This report is a result of a request by the AAOS Council on Research, Quality Assessment, and Technology that the Department of Research and Scientific Affairs prepare a workforce report, and it is in accordance with an Academy resolution on workforce issues.

To prepare this report, we used data from AAOS membership records obtained in January 2002 and January 2010, meaning that the report is based on data from approximately 96% of orthopaedic surgeons in the United States. The AAOS membership records are the only comprehensive source of state-level information on orthopaedic surgeons.

Results of the analysis identify potential shortage or surplus states. However, we do not attempt to make any predictions or recommendations about the number of orthopaedic surgeons required to provide high quality orthopaedic care. This report should be viewed as purely descriptive, and not as an attempt to make conclusions about the orthopaedic care provided in any given state.