Trends in Industry-Sponsored Research Funding to Orthopaedic Surgeons in the U.S. from 2017-2024

Orthopaedic injuries and musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases limit function, reduce quality of life, and carry substantial socioeconomic burdens. Because federal support for orthopaedic research is disproportionately low and volatile, industry-sponsored research funding (ISRF) can provide additional support to advance clinical care. We performed an analysis of ISRF directed to orthopaedic surgeons Principal Investigators (PIs) between 2017 and 2024 using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Open Payments database. Payments were aggregated per PI, then stratified by subspecialty, study phase (pre-clinical vs registered clinical trial), and sponsoring company. In doing so, we found that orthopaedic surgeon PIs received $395.7 million in ISRF during this eight-year span; each year this averaged $49.5 million from 106 companies to 956 investigators, with the median ISRF $14,121 to each PI. Across the study period, approximately 5% of ISRF supported pre-clinical work, and 20% was tied to registered clinical trials. Surgeons who received ISRF also accepted higher general (non-research) industry payments than their non-research peers ($69,441 vs $8,363; p<0.001). Together, these results show that ISRF provides an avenue to conduct research and augment other sources of funding. Clinical SignificanceUnderstanding ISRF patterns can help academic centers and professional societies anticipate future funding directions, direct resources, and help orthopaedic surgeons acquire funding that advances care and benefits patients.