Orthopedic-related sports injuries in oldest patient population may outpace surgeons
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Key takeaways:
- Orthopedic-related sports injuries in patients aged 65 years or older between 2021 and 2040 are projected to increase by 123%.
- Rate of orthopedic surgeons between 2021 and 2040 is projected to increase about 8%.
SAN FRANCISCO — Orthopedic-related sports injuries in patients aged at least 65 years may outpace the number of orthopedic surgeons, according to results presented here.
“There is a disparity in the number of orthopedic surgeons and the number of injuries that we expect to occur by 2040, which may not be adequately represented,” Nareena Imam, BA, medical student at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, said in her presentation at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.
Imam and colleagues collected data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System to determine the number of orthopedic-related sports injuries in a patient population aged at least 65 years. They also utilized data from the Physician Compare database to estimate the number of orthopedic surgeons, as well as U.S. Census estimates to calculate the annual incidence of injuries per 100,000 patients and to project the number of injuries in 2040.
“The purpose of our study was twofold,” Imam said. “The first part was to describe and analyze sports injuries in this population between 2012 and 2021. And secondly, to predict the number of injuries in these adults and the number of orthopedic surgeons through 2040.”
Imam said that the number of orthopedic-related sports injuries in patients aged at least 65 years was greater than 700,000 between 2012 and 2021, with an average incidence between 2016 and 2021 of 171 injuries per 100,000 patients.
In addition, Imam and colleagues found the projected rate of increase for these injuries in this population from 2021 to 2040 would be 123%, which researchers projected to about 208,000 injuries by 2040.
In terms of orthopedic surgeons, Imam said the projected rate of increase from 2021 to 2040 would be about 8%, which researchers projected to about 23,527 surgeons by 2040.
“Orthopedic surgeons should consider different treatment options for older, high-demand patients who might still want to be involved in sports and other physical activities,” Imam said.
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Imam N, et al. Paper 424. Presented at: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting; Feb. 12-16, 2024; San Francisco.
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