Trends in Orthopedic Surgery in Chile: Analysis Between 2004 and 2020

Purpose To describe the trends of orthopedic surgery in Chile since 2004 in terms of the number and gender of surgeons, the incidence of procedures per 100,000 inhabitants (IR), and access by health insurance and type of health center. Methods A cross-sectional study was designed. Three databases were analyzed: the free access database of the Chilean Department of Statistics and Health Information (DEIS), which had information on all procedures performed in health institutions in Chile from 2004 to 2020. Then, the orthopedic surgeon registry was requested from the National Superintendence of Health (NSH). Finally, the database of the Chilean Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons (SCHOT) was analyzed. Spearman's correlation was used to determine significant trends during the analyzed period. Results The NSH reported 1770 orthopedic surgeons in 2020; 56% were affiliated with SCHOT. An upward trend in the proportion of female orthopedic surgeons was found, from 4.8% in 2004 to 7.6% in 2020. Since 2004, the IR of orthopaedic surgeries has been increasing significantly in both health insurances; the growth in public insurance follows a linear model (R² = 0.970) of parameters β₀ = - 55982.6 (p <0.000) and β₁ = 28.02 (p <0.000) while in private insurance, the growth is also linear (R² = 0.890) but with a greater slope: β₀ = - 104136 (p <0.000) and β₁ = 52.15 (p <0.000). A significant downward trend was found in the proportion of surgeries performed in the public health network (rho = -0.797, p = 0.0002). Conclusions There is a significant increase in the number of orthopedic surgeons and the number of procedures per 100,000 inhabitants. Nevertheless, there is evident inequity in access to orthopedic surgery in Chile and low gender diversity.