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Should I see a sports medicine doctor or an orthopedic surgeon?

Both sports medicine doctors and orthopedic surgeons have training in musculoskeletal medicine. However, orthopedic surgeons are trained to perform full-scale operative procedures for musculoskeletal conditions.

If you require any of the following procedures, you likely need to see an orthopedic surgeon rather than a sports medicine doctor:

  • Joint replacement surgery
  • Internal fixation
  • Bone fusion
  • Arthroscopy
  • Soft tissue repair
  • Osteotomy (bone repositioning)

Around 90% of musculoskeletal injuries do not require surgical intervention, so you may choose to see a sports medicine doctor before visiting an orthopedic surgeon for treatment of non-musculoskeletal injuries.

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of ACA compliant major medical plans. Coverage and plan options vary and may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure. You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.