What Southern Sports Medicine Institute does

Southern Sports Medicine Institute is a privately held, for-profit orthopedic and sports medicine practice headquartered in Gallatin, Tennessee, with a second clinic in Nashville. Founded in 2011 and operating at a headcount of 11-50 employees, the practice is anchored by Dr. Thomas Gautsch, a Johns Hopkins/UCSD/UCLA-trained, board-certified orthopedic surgeon, together with Dr. Lee Swiderek. Its core offering is the proprietary "Southern Approach" outpatient total knee replacement — a quad-muscle-sparing, from-the-side technique paired with 3D stereoscopic computer-assisted navigation, delivered at a dedicated outpatient surgery center and supported by onsite physician-supervised physical therapy at both locations. Adjacent service lines include shoulder arthroscopic rotator cuff and labral/ligament repair using a research-validated multi-pass suture technique, knee arthroscopic cartilage and ligament reconstruction, biceps tenodesis, tendon repair (including PRP and stem cell regenerative add-ons), and conservative treatment of stress fractures and strains/sprains.

The business model is fee-for-service outpatient healthcare reimbursement. Patients pay via insurance, with the practice operating as a preferred in-network provider for Blue Cross, Anthem, and most commercial insurance plans; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market relies on physician referrals (supported by a dedicated referral portal at ssmi.preferral.com), insurance network positioning, SEO for regional orthopedic search terms, patient reviews on Google and Yelp, and a Facebook presence. Patients are acquired across more than 20 cities spanning Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky, drawn from two primary personas: current and former athletes seeking return-to-activity care, and active adults with degenerative joint problems whose quality of life is limited by knee or shoulder conditions. A 2014 milestone — the first successful outpatient total knee replacement in Tennessee — anchors the practice's clinical positioning around same-day discharge, full-weight-bearing recovery within hours, and shortened rehabilitation timelines relative to traditional hospital-based joint replacement.

Name

Southern Sports Medicine Institute

Legal name

Southern Sports Medicine Institute

Website

https://southern-sports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southern Sports Medicine Institute is a private, two-location orthopedic practice in Middle Tennessee that provides outpatient knee replacement via a proprietary quad-sparing technique, shoulder arthroscopy, and onsite physical therapy to athletes and active adults across the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Services

NAICS

Outpatient Care Centers (6214), Freestanding Ambulatory Surgical and Emergency Centers (621493)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Orthopedic Surgery (Operative Orthopedics) (HLAKALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Medicine (HLAKALAB), Shoulder & Elbow (HLAKALAI), Orthopedic & Sports Rehabilitation Centers (HLAFAFAI)

Keywords

• Orthopedic surgery
• Sports medicine
• Outpatient knee replacement
• Arthroscopic surgery
• Physical therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Gallatin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Surgical Procedures: Fee-for-service revenue from outpatient orthopedic surgeries including knee replacement, shoulder arthroscopy, rotator cuff repair, labral/ligament repairs, and biceps tenodesis. Insurance-based reimbursement from Blue Cross, Anthem, and most commercial insurance providers.
2. Physical Therapy Services: Physician-supervised physical therapy programs provided at both Gallatin and Portland locations. Revenue from rehabilitation services billed to insurance.
3. Consultation and Evaluation: Initial orthopedic evaluations, diagnostic assessments, and ongoing follow-up consultations for musculoskeletal conditions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Southern Sports Medicine Institute is an orthopedic and sports medicine practice that performs outpatient joint replacement and arthroscopic surgeries, with a focus on its proprietary "Southern Approach" quad-muscle-sparing knee replacement technique. The practice serves active adults and athletes through surgical care, orthopedic evaluations, and onsite physician-supervised physical therapy across its Gallatin and Nashville, Tennessee locations.

Product overview

Southern Sports Medicine Institute offers a unified orthopedic and sports medicine practice centered on surgical and non-surgical treatments for musculoskeletal conditions. The core offerings include outpatient knee replacement surgery using 'The Southern Approach' (a quad-sparing, computer-navigated technique), various shoulder procedures (arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, labral ligament repairs, biceps tenodesis), knee arthroscopic surgeries, and onsite physical therapy. The practice serves athletes and active individuals seeking specialized care, with treatment plans tailored from initial orthopedic evaluation through rehabilitation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outpatient Knee Replacement Surgery (Southern Approach)
• Computer Navigated Knee Replacement Surgery

Quantifiable outcome

• Patients walk within hours of surgery and go home same afternoon full weight bearing
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Blue Cross Blue ShieldcoreOthersPreferred in-network provider status for Blue Cross insurance plans. Major insurance partner enabling patient access through insurance coverage.
• AnthemcoreOthersPreferred in-network provider status for Anthem insurance plans. Major commercial insurance partner covering significant patient population.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hughston Clinic: Orthopedic and sports medicine practice founded by Dr. Jack Hughston, with multiple Southeast locations. Directly comparable as a physician-led orthopedic surgery group with subspecialty expertise in sports medicine, joint replacement, and rehabilitation across a regional footprint.
• Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center: Birmingham, AL-based sports medicine and orthopedic surgery practice specializing in minimally invasive procedures for athletes and active adults. Closely comparable in clinical focus (sports medicine orthopedics, arthroscopy, joint preservation) and patient segmentation, though operating in a different geography.
• OrthoCarolina: One of the largest independent orthopedic practices in the U.S., based in Charlotte, NC, offering joint replacement, sports medicine, and physical therapy across multiple locations. Comparable as an independent multi-subspecialty orthopedic group with integrated PT and strong regional brand.
• Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance: Large multi-specialty orthopedic group with multiple locations across Tennessee, including the Nashville metro. Directly comparable as a regional orthopedic surgery and sports medicine practice serving the same Middle Tennessee patient population with similar procedures (joint replacement, sports medicine, PT).
• Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush: Chicago-based academic orthopedic practice affiliated with Rush University, providing joint replacement, sports medicine, and orthopedic surgery. Comparable as a high-volume orthopedic surgery group with strong surgeon credentials and subspecialty depth in joint replacement and sports medicine.

Regional players

• Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic Orthopedics: Hospital-affiliated orthopedic service line operating in the Mid-Atlantic region. Comparable in offering joint replacement and sports medicine but tied to a larger health system rather than operating as an independent practice.

Broad incumbents

• Surgery Partners: Public company that owns and operates a national network of ambulatory surgical centers, including many with orthopedic focus. Comparable as an ASC operator but operates at significantly greater scale across multiple specialties and geographies.
• United Surgical Partners International (USPI): Largest operator of ambulatory surgery centers in the U.S., majority-owned by Tenet Healthcare. Comparable as an ASC infrastructure provider enabling outpatient orthopedic procedures, though operates across many specialties and at national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SSMIGallatin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-sports-medicine-institute-pllc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern Sports Medicine Institute