ABSTRACT
Background: Female representation varies geographically among orthopaedic residency programs, with the southern region of the United States reported as having relatively lower rates of female orthopaedic surgeons. Purpose: To determine the gender and geographic distributions of US-based orthopaedic sports medicine surgeons and analyze geographic patterns between their training locations and present-day practices. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: American Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine (AOSSM) fellowship completion data from the 2016-2021 academic years were analyzed with regard to gender and fellowship location. Medical school, residency, and current practice locations were obtained via internet searches for all individuals identified within the databases. Locations were categorized into regions based on the US Census Bureau definitions. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the data. Results: A total of 1268 sports orthopaedic surgeons who graduated fellowship from 2016 to 2021 were analyzed: 141 (11%) were female and 1127 (89%) were male. The percentage of female sports medicine surgeons in fellowship remained constant (11%-12%) from 2016 to 2021. On average, the annual percentage of female orthopaedic sports medicine fellows was 7.2% in the South, 10.4% in the West, 14.2% in the Midwest, and 14.7% in the Northeast. Based on the orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship graduates from 2016 to 2021, the mean percentage of current female orthopaedic sports medicine surgeons in practice was 7.4% in the South, 11.7% in the Northeast, 12.8% in the Midwest, and 14.4% in the West. Conclusion: Approximately 11% of our sample was female; however, this percentage varied heavily by region, with the southern region having significantly lower rates of gender diversity.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Women have historically been underrepresented in orthopaedics. This study analyzes the geographic distribution of female orthopaedic foot and ankle (OFA) surgeons, as well as geographic patterns between their training locations and current practices. METHODS: American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) data regarding fellowship completion from 1988 to 2021 were analyzed. Internet searches were then performed to identify medical school, residency, and current practice locations of individual surgeons. States were categorized into regions and divisions based on US Census Bureau guidelines. RESULTS: Of the 1088 OFA surgeons analyzed, 166 (15.26%) were women and 922 (84.74%) were men. The South has a higher number of female OFA surgeons; however, this region and the Midwest have the lowest percentages of female representation. The West and Northeast had significantly higher percentages of female representation and higher retention rates for women. There was high variability in the number and percentage of female OFA surgeons in divisions both within and between regions. CONCLUSION: Although the number of female OFA surgeons has increased, their representation remains low. Geographically, the East South Central division of the United States consistently had the least number of OFA surgeons, whereas the South Atlantic division had the highest.Level of Evidence: Not applicable.
