More orthopedic surgeons may feel pressured to drop Medicare beneficiaries who have non-emergent orthopedic needs in 2024. 

Louis Shapiro, who was president and CEO of New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery, joined Zimmer Biomet's board of directors, the devicemaker said Jan. 3.

Former Bears receiver, College Football Hall of Fame member and orthopedic surgeon Bill McColl, MD, died on Dec. 28 at the age of 93, according to a Jan. 4 report from the San Diego Union-Tribune. 

Here are five acquisitions impacting the orthopedic industry that Becker's has reported on since Dec. 6: 

Dharmesh Vyas, MD, PhD, head team physician for the Pittsburgh Penguins, performed laparoscopic knee surgery on the NHL team's forward Matt Nieto, according to a Jan. 4 report from ESPN.

Keith Meister, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and is the director of sports medicine at the Texas Metroplex Institute for Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery in Arlington. He is also the head team physician for the Texas Rangers, an MLB team.

Oklahoma City-based SSM Health and SSM Health Bone and Joint Hospital patients may have been caught in a data breach impacting SSM's business partner Navvis, according to a Jan. 3 report from News9.

Greensboro, N.C.-based Southeastern Orthopaedic Specialists experienced a data breach that exposed sensitive consumer information, according to a Jan. 2 article from an attorney from Console and Associates published by JDSupra.

Bend, Ore.-based The Center Orthopedic & Neurosurgical Care added five surgeons from Bend-based Desert Orthopedics.

Fort Lauderdale-based Florida Pain & Rehabilitation Associates, led by designated physician and pain medicine specialist Sergio Lenchig, MD, is under a 30-day suspension for safety infractions, according to a Jan. 3 report from the Miami Herald.

A new policy at Bethesda Hospital East and Bethesda Hospital West, both in Boynton Beach, Fla., is asking on-call orthopedic surgeons to see emergency patients, including those who may be out of the surgeons' scope of expertise, bocanewsnow.com reported Jan. 3.

Jashan Valjee, DPM, of The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics in Bethesda, Md., wants to bolster administrative efficiencies in his practice for 2024.

University of California Los Angeles Health orthopedic specialist Nicholas Bernthal, MD, has teamed up with Duke University biomedical engineer Tatiana Segura, PhD, and a team of UCLA engineers to develop a preventative strategy for postoperative orthopedic surgical infections. 

Alaska is the most expensive state to get a knee arthroscopy with cartilage removal in the hospital outpatient departments, while Iowa is the most affordable, according to data from Sidecar Health's care calculator.

At the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, Forbes updated its annual list of the richest people in the world, which includes 34 U.S. healthcare billionaires in 2024, including eight who made their wealth in the spine and orthopedic industry. 

Springfield, Mass.-based New England Orthopedic Surgeons has implemented Athenahealth's cloud-based electronic health record, revenue cycle management and patient engagement solutions suite athenaOne.  

California is the state with the highest employment level of orthopedic surgeons.

Healthcare Outcomes Performance Company has acquired MoonlightOrtho, a musculoskeletal telehealth platform.

Enovis completed its acquisition of LimaCorporate, according to a Jan. 3 news release.

A multimillion orthopedic malpractice verdict is expected to go to court again after a patient chose to seek a new trial against Sartell, Minn.-based St. Cloud Orthopedic Associates. Here is a timeline of the events leading up to the move: