Carolina Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Specialists

What Carolina Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Specialists does

Carolina Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Specialists, P.A. (CSM) is a privately held, single-specialty orthopedic and sports medicine medical practice founded in 1995 by David Esposito, MD and headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. Following Dr. Esposito's retirement in January 2014, Dr. Douglas F. Messina — a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the shoulder and knee, as well as total joint replacement — assumed the role of primary physician, supported by T. Shawn Fitzgerald, PA-C. The practice operates from a primary office at 1717 Shipyard Blvd., Suite 350, Wilmington, and a satellite location in Whiteville, NC, with surgical cases performed at partner facility Wilmington Surgcare.

The practice delivers three core service lines: Sports Medicine (prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sports and exercise-related injuries, including coverage for regional high school athletic programs), Orthopedics (management of joint and muscle injuries from trauma, arthritis, and degenerative conditions), and Total Joint Replacement (anchored by Dr. Messina's 20+ years of experience in total knee replacements). It serves individual patients — athletes, active individuals, and orthopedic patients — across southeastern North Carolina, with team physician roles at multiple high schools and the Wallace-Rose Hill Bulldogs during their 2014-2017 state championship run.

The business model is professional services fee-for-visit, billed through insurance, Medicare, and patient payments. There are no disclosed enterprise contracts, no capital raises, no parent company, and no institutional investors. Patient acquisition is sales-led and community-driven, relying on regional brand reputation built since 1995, event sponsorships (marathons, triathlons, community events), and patient reviews across Facebook, Yelp, YouTube/Vimeo, and Healthgrades. The practice holds HIPAA and OSHA compliance badges, with no AI/ML capabilities, proprietary software products, or technology platform beyond standard clinical practice operations.

Name

Carolina Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Specialists

Legal name

Carolina Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Specialists, P.A.

Website

https://carolinasportsmed.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carolina Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Specialists is a private Wilmington, NC orthopedic and sports medicine practice founded in 1995, serving individual patients in southeastern North Carolina with sports medicine, orthopedics, and total joint replacement services delivered by a single board-certified surgeon and physician assistant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (62111)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Medicine (HLAKALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Orthopedics (HLAKALAA), Orthopedic Surgery (Operative Orthopedics) (HLAKALAC)

Keywords

• Orthopedic surgery services
• Sports medicine care
• Joint replacement surgery
• Arthroscopic surgery
• Musculoskeletal treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical Services Revenue: Revenue generated from providing orthopedic and sports medicine healthcare services including consultations, diagnostic procedures, surgical interventions, and follow-up care. Services are billed through insurance, Medicare, and patient payments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Carolina Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Specialists is an independent medical practice providing orthopedic and sports medicine care, including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sports and exercise-related injuries, comprehensive management of joint and muscle conditions, and surgical interventions such as arthroscopic, reconstructive, and total joint replacement surgery of the shoulder, knee, and hip. Services are delivered by a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and physician assistant to patients across southeastern North Carolina, with team physician coverage provided to area high school athletic programs.

Product overview

Carolina Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Specialists operates as a unified medical practice offering orthopedic and sports medicine services. The practice comprises Sports Medicine (injury prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for sports/exercise-related conditions), Orthopedics (comprehensive joint and muscle injury management), and Total Joint Replacement surgery (knee and hip). Dr. Messina specializes in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the shoulder and knee. The practice uses state-of-the-art equipment and advanced techniques to treat patients of any age and activity level.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 years of experience in total knee replacements
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Without Limits Endurance TeamminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Year-round endurance sports team sponsorship. The practice supports athletic competitors in triathlon and endurance events, aligning with their sports medicine specialty.
• Halo Hoops/YMCAminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Youth basketball program sponsorship through YMCA affiliation. Community health and athletic development partnership.
• NHRMC Wilmington MarathoncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Major annual marathon event sponsorship (March 20-21, 2026). High-profile endurance event sponsorship providing brand visibility among active health-conscious consumers.
• Azalea TriathloncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Regional triathlon event sponsorship (April 1, 2026). Aligns with sports medicine and athletic patient demographic.
• Wrightsville Beach TriathloncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Annual triathlon sponsorship (September 19, 2026). Major regional athletic event sponsorship for sports medicine brand positioning.
• NC Half MarathoncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Major half marathon sponsorship (November 7-8, 2026). Regional endurance event sponsorship for athletic community visibility.
• BB&T Football JamboreeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026High school football event sponsorship. Supports local high school athletics.
• Wallace-Rose Hill Bulldogs FootballcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Team physician services for 2014-2017 state football champions. Direct medical coverage and athletic healthcare for high school athletic program.
• Best of Star News VarsityminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026High school athletics recognition program sponsorship. Community engagement with local sports media.
• Parkway Subaru BattleshipminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Community event sponsorship involving local business partnership.
• The Carousel CenterminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Charitable organization sponsorship (Making Legends Local, April 25, 2026). Community philanthropy partnership.
• Wilmington Fraternal Order of Police 'Shop with a Cop'minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Holiday charitable event sponsorship (December 2026). Community giving program.
• Wilmington SurgcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurgical care facility referral partner for surgical procedures requiring hospital or surgical center facilities.
• American Academy of Orthopaedic SurgeonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association membership providing access to research, guidelines, and professional standards in orthopedics.
• American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional society membership and affiliation for sports medicine specialty. Referenced in Dr. Messina's board certifications.
• Coastal Cape Fear Orthopedic SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional orthopedic professional society. Professional membership for Shawn Fitzgerald, PA-C.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• EmergeOrtho: Large multi-region North Carolina orthopedic group providing sports medicine, joint replacement, and general orthopedic care. Directly comparable service mix to Carolina Sports Medicine, with overlapping geographic presence in coastal NC and significantly broader scale.
• Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic: Independent orthopedic specialty practice in Raleigh, NC offering sports medicine, arthroscopy, and total joint replacement. Comparable as an independent specialty orthopedic group with a similar community-reputation-driven GTM, though operating in a different NC metro.
• OrthoCarolina: One of the largest independent orthopedic practices in North Carolina, offering sports medicine, joint replacement, and general orthopedic services. Directly comparable as an independent orthopedic group operating in the same state with similar service lines, though materially larger in scale.
• Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center: Independent orthopedic and sports medicine practice in Birmingham, AL with fellowship-trained surgeons, team physician contracts, and community sponsorship presence. Closely analogous business model and brand-building strategy for a sports-medicine-focused independent practice.

Regional players

• Wilmington Health: Multi-specialty physician group based in Wilmington, NC that includes orthopedic and sports medicine services. Comparable as a regional ambulatory care provider in the same immediate market, directly competing for orthopedic patient volume.

Broad incumbents

• Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute: Large hospital system's orthopedic and sports medicine service line serving the Carolinas. Comparable in clinical offerings but operating with the scale, integrated EHR, and payer contracts of a major regional health system, putting pricing pressure on independents.
• Duke Orthopaedics: Academic orthopedic program offering sports medicine, joint replacement, and reconstructive surgery in North Carolina. Comparable subspecialty depth (fellowship-trained surgeons, arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery) but with the research, brand, and payer advantages of a major academic medical center.
• Novant Health Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine: Hospital-affiliated orthopedic and sports medicine service line operating across the Carolinas. Comparable in service mix (sports medicine, joint replacement) but with significantly greater scale, payer leverage, and capital base as part of a regional health system.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9mwfTbStVXQBQRDi5wogWQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Carolina-Sports-Medicine-Orthopedic-Specialists-100070445041003

Compliance2 records

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 Carolina Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Specialists