The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons formally submitted comments on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposals for accountable care organizations, focusing on payment provisions and asking for clarity regarding the specialists' roles, according to an AAOS Now report.

Spine Center Network, a company that provides report cards for regional spine centers, was recently launched in 16 states, according to a company news release.

Kim Pensenstadler, director of business development at Chapman Medical Center in Orange, Calif., spearheaded efforts to open the Chapman Neurosurgical Spine Institute. She discusses six questions to consider before pushing forward with forming a comprehensive orthopedic or spine center.

Orthopedic practices were selected for inclusion on this list based on practice size, services and reputation in their communities. This list was created after substantial research by our editorial staff. Practices do not pay and cannot pay to be included on this list. This list is not an endorsement of any organization's clinical abilities.

70 of the Best Knee Surgeons in America

The following knee surgeons were selected based on awards they received from major organizations in the field, leadership in those organizations, work on professional publications and positions of service at hospitals and surgery centers. Click to continue »

The Year Ahead: 9 Biggest Issues for Orthopedic Surgeons in 2011

Industry experts identify nine of the top concerns for orthopedic surgeons in 2011. 1. Healthcare reform law. Over the next year, there will be an increased focus on quality measures and ... Click to continue »

The Future of Orthopedic Surgeon Employment: 3 Core Concepts

Increasingly, orthopedic surgeons coming out of school are joining hospitals rather than independent practices. At the same time, orthopedic practices are increasingly entering into co-management or joint ... Click to continue »

Publisher’s Letter: January/February 2011

2010 was an interesting year for all areas of healthcare, including orthopedics and spine.Click to continue »

5 Top-Paid Specialists Include Spine, Neurosurgery and Sports Medicine

Orthopedic spine, neurological and sports medicine surgeons were among the top five highest-paid specialties in 2009, according to MGMA's Physician Compensation and Production Survey: 2010 Report Based ... Click to continue »

Spine Surgery in 2011 and Beyond: 7 Points About the Future of Spine Surgery

Many of the new techniques and equipment developed over the past few years for spine surgery have leaned toward the minimally invasive approach, which is gaining popularity across the country. Click to continue »

5 Techniques for Increasing Patient Volume at Your Sports Medicine Practice

It has become necessary for many specialists and practices to market their services more proactively than in the past. Beyond providing great treatment outcomes, orthopedic and sports medicine practices must competitively reach out to their community to ensure patient volume. Click to continue »

10 Recent Orthopedic and Spine Device Company Partnerships and Acquisitions

Here are ten recent orthopedic and spine device company partnerships, agreements and acquisitions. Click to continue »

With only a week left before a 21.3 percent fee cut goes into effect, the Democratic leadership in Congress is proposing a three-year fix that would pay primary care physicians more than specialists for the first time, according to a report by Politico.

A study into physician cost profiling, commonly used to decide which physicians are included in health plan networks, found that around 25 percent of physicians would be misclassified under systems currently used by plans to encourage patients to receive care from physicians with lower medical costs, according to a news release from the RAND Corp.

The Center for Studying Health System Change released the following findings from the 2008 Health Tracking Physician Survey, the latest year available.

CHICAGO — Becker's Orthopedic & Spine Review has announced "50 Spine Surgeons & Specialists to Know," profiling top spine surgeons, physicians and innovators in the country.

Citing federal statistics, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says uninsured adults were more likely in 2007 to have problems accessing a physician specialist than people who had insurance coverage, according to a report by AHA News Now.