What Duke Orthopaedic Surgery does

Duke Orthopaedic Surgery is an academic medical department within Duke University and the Duke University Health System, founded in 1975 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. The department delivers comprehensive musculoskeletal care across 12+ subspecialties including adult reconstruction, sports medicine, spine, trauma, pediatric orthopaedics, hand and upper extremity, foot and ankle, hip preservation, orthopaedic oncology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Clinical operations span multiple Duke Health locations across the North Carolina Triangle (Durham, Apex, Knightdale), including seven-day orthopaedic urgent care sites with same/next-day appointment access. Patient care is supported by proprietary technology infrastructure including the COORDS (Comprehensive Outcomes in Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Data System) data platform, developed with Duke Health Technology Solutions and the Analytic Center of Excellence to capture PROMIS outcomes at scale.

The department operates three major education programs: the Doctor of Physical Therapy program (ranked No. 4 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, 2025), the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program (ranked No. 20 nationally), and the newly CAATE-accredited Athletic Training Orthopaedic Residency Program. Revenue is generated through clinical patient care services, tuition and program fees, and research grants — Duke ranked No. 1 in NIH funding in orthopaedics for two consecutive years through 2023. The Practice Transformation Unit collaborates with technology partners including Xealth, Pattern Health, Apprentice Health, and Jvion to deploy personalized digital care pathways, AI-driven clinic scheduling, and predictive no-show analytics.

The department pursues global health partnerships with Vidawasi Children's Citadel (Peru), Faith in Practice (Guatemala), and Operation Walk International, while maintaining domestic leadership through faculty expertise, research output (100+ AAOS 2024 presentations), and U.S. News & World Report rankings placing Duke University Hospital's orthopaedic program No. 1 in the Southeast. As a non-profit academic department, it has no commercial equity, no venture funding, and is governed within Duke University's administrative structure.

Name

Duke Orthopaedic Surgery

Legal name

Duke University and Duke University Health System

Website

https://ortho.duke.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Duke Orthopaedic Surgery is an academic medical department within Duke University Health System providing comprehensive musculoskeletal patient care, accredited physical therapy and occupational therapy education, and NIH-leading orthopaedic research across 12+ subspecialties in North Carolina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Orthopaedic Medicine

NAICS

Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (62231), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

General Orthopedics (HLAKALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spine (Orthopedic Spine) (HLAKALAE), Foot & Ankle (HLAKALAG), Shoulder & Elbow (HLAKALAI), Orthopedic Trauma (HLAKALAD), Orthopedic Oncology (Musculoskeletal Tumors) (HLAKALAK), Orthopedic & Spine Specialty Hospitals (HLAFAHAB)

Keywords

• Orthopaedic surgery services
• Physical therapy education
• Occupational therapy doctorate
• Musculoskeletal patient care
• Orthopaedic residency training

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Clinical Patient Care Services: Duke Orthopaedics generates revenue through comprehensive clinical services including surgical procedures, diagnostic services, rehabilitation therapies, and urgent care across multiple orthopaedic subspecialties.
2. Educational Programs and Training: Revenue generated through residency and fellowship programs, Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD), and continuing medical education programs with associated tuition and fees.
3. Research Grants and Clinical Trials: Funding from NIH, foundations, and industry sponsors supports clinical research operations. Duke ranked No. 1 in NIH funding in orthopaedics for second consecutive year (2023).

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Duke Orthopaedic Surgery is an academic medical department within Duke University Health System that provides comprehensive orthopaedic patient care across 12 subspecialties (adult reconstruction, sports medicine, spine, trauma, pediatrics, oncology, hand and upper extremity, foot and ankle, hip preservation, and physical medicine and rehabilitation). It also delivers accredited educational programs including a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, an Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD), orthopaedic residency and fellowship training, and an athletic training residency, alongside NIH-funded clinical, basic science, and translational research.

Product overview

Duke Orthopaedic Surgery is a comprehensive academic orthopaedic department offering a multi-product portfolio that includes clinical patient care services across 12 subspecialty divisions (Adult Reconstruction, Foot & Ankle, Hand and Upper Extremity, Hip Preservation, Orthopaedic Oncology, Orthopaedic Trauma, Pediatric Orthopaedics, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Spine, Sports Medicine, Occupational Therapy Doctorate, and Doctor of Physical Therapy). The department operates as a unified platform combining healthcare delivery, education programs (DPT ranked No. 4 nationally, OTD ranked No. 20), and research infrastructure including the COORDS data system and Practice Transformation Unit. Key offerings include the CAATE-accredited Athletic Training Residency Program, orthopaedic urgent care at multiple locations, the Duke Joint Health Program for osteoarthritis management, and advanced research facilities like the K-Lab. The department leverages technology integrations for scheduling optimization, predictive analytics for patient no-shows, and machine learning for diagnostic imaging.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Duke Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program: A nationally ranked Doctor of Physical Therapy program, ranked No. 4 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in 2025, celebrating its 83rd graduating class in 2026.
• Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Program
• Duke Sarcoma Center

Products and services

• Duke Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Clinical Care
• Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program
• Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Program
• Athletic Training Orthopaedic Residency Program
• Orthopaedic Urgent Care
• Duke Joint Health Program (JHP)
• Thumb Carpometacarpal (CMC) Joint Replacement Implant Program
• Orthopaedic Residency and Fellowship Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked No. 1 in NIH funding for orthopaedics for second consecutive year (2023)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)coreOthers · 1 May 2026CAATE awarded accreditation to Duke's Athletic Training Residency Program. CAATE accreditation recognizes programs meeting rigorous national standards for post-professional athletic training education.
• Universidad Científica del Sur (UCSUR)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Duke faculty conducted Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) workshop at Universidad Científica del Sur in Lima, combining lecture with hands-on ultrasound training in cadaver laboratory.
• Vidawasi Children's CitadelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Duke maintains an ongoing global health partnership with Vidawasi Children's Citadel in the Sacred Valley, Peru. Faculty and students provide pediatric physical therapy, community health services, and capacity building. Second visit conducted March 2026.
• Faith in Practice (FIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuke Orthopaedics partners with Faith in Practice, an organization dedicated to providing life-changing orthopaedic and medical care to underserved patients. Duke faculty volunteers participate in medical mission trips to Guatemala, with Dr. Brian Parsley having completed over 65 mission trips accounting for over 25,000 patient bed-nights.
• Operation Walk InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuke faculty collaborate with Operation Walk International to provide life-changing orthopaedic care to patients in developing countries who otherwise have no access to treatment.
• Duke-Margolis Center for Health PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPractice Transformation Unit is deepening collaboration with Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy to design and implement condition-based payment models to improve musculoskeletal health.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS): Largest U.S. orthopaedic specialty hospital. Directly comparable as the benchmark orthopaedic specialty academic program with multi-subspecialty clinical care, research, and training.
• Cleveland Clinic Orthopaedic Surgery: Major academic orthopaedic department with comprehensive subspecialty coverage, research, and training programs; competes with Duke for top-tier rankings and complex case referrals.
• Rush University Medical Center Orthopedic Surgery: High-volume academic orthopaedic department with strong sports medicine and specialty programs; comparable in scale, research intensity, and clinical subspecialty breadth.
• Mayo Clinic Orthopedic Surgery: Top-ranked academic orthopaedic surgery department with multi-subspecialty clinical care, leading NIH-funded research, and residency/fellowship programs — directly comparable to Duke.
• NYU Langone Orthopedic Surgery: Top academic orthopaedic department with multi-subspecialty clinical operations, research output, and residency programs; competes with Duke in U.S. News rankings and trainee recruitment.
• Johns Hopkins Orthopaedic Surgery: Peer academic orthopaedic department with leading research funding, multi-subspecialty care, and competitive residency programs at a similarly prestigious U.S. institution.
• UCSF Orthopaedic Surgery: Academic orthopaedic department at a leading U.S. medical school with comparable subspecialty breadth, NIH funding, and education programs; competes with Duke for research prestige.
• Stanford Orthopaedic Surgery: Top-tier academic orthopaedic department with research-intensive culture, multi-subspecialty clinical services, and elite training programs — comparable to Duke's research and education focus.

Regional players

• OrthoCarolina: Independent orthopaedic specialty practice headquartered in Charlotte, NC. Comparable in orthopaedic specialty focus and serve overlapping Southeast referral markets, but a private-practice model rather than academic.

Broad incumbents

• Athletico Physical Therapy (BJI / Select Medical): Large outpatient PT/OT provider network; relevant peer given Duke's DPT and OTD programs and clinical PT operations, though it operates a different delivery model (multi-site private practice).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DukeOrtho
• Facebookfacebook.com/DukeOrtho
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/duke-orthopaedic-surgery
• Instagraminstagram.com/dukeortho

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Duke Orthopaedic Surgery