Published on
Download the article PDF: The Scale Of Orthopedic Urgent Care
As of August 12, 2025, there are 726 orthopedic urgent care (OUC) rooftops in the United States, according to National Urgent Care Realty and Urgent Care Consultants. Based on centers added since January 1, 2025, the estimated annual rooftop growth for 2025 is 10.9%.
The charts highlight the market’s structure: Most sites operate without hospital affiliation, and OUC is largely a scaled, multisite business rather than single-location clinics. Only 9% of OUC rooftops are single locations. Hospital-affiliated brands are more likely to have 10 or more locations, whereas independent operators cluster in the 2-to-9 range—evidence that playbooks are being replicated beyond health systems.
What differentiates OUC? It delivers same-day, walk-in care focused solely on musculoskeletal injuries—fractures, sprains/strains, sports injuries—with on-site x-ray, splinting/casting, and rapid access to orthopedic specialists. In this way, OUCs operate like conventional urgent care (extended hours, walk-in convenience) but differ in scope and staffing, concentrating expertise and imaging around bones, joints, and soft tissue. Studies show OUCs can shorten waits, speed access to an orthopedic specialist, and offer a lower-cost alternative to the emergency department for appropriate injuries.1-3 Due to its specialty focus, OUC and other specialty UCs are often excluded from industry statistics, although the Urgent Care Association does offer a distinct, OUC-specific certification.
The footprint and growth rate suggest OUCs are becoming a standard front door for acute musculoskeletal care. For operators, scale and affiliation strategy—and the ability to deliver quick imaging and definitive orthopedic follow-up—are emerging competitive differentiators.
References
- Dlott CC, O’Marr JM, Jain S, et al. National trends in musculoskeletal urgent care centers: Improved Medicaid access from 2019 to 2023. Medicine (Baltimore). 2024;103(31):e38936. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000038936.
- Dlott CC, Metcalfe T, Khunte A, et al. Evaluating musculoskeletal urgent care center triage and transfer of emergency conditions for emergency surgical assessment and intervention. Medicine (Baltimore). 2022;101(51):e32519. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000032519.
- Anderson TJ, Althausen PL. The role of dedicated musculoskeletal urgent care centers in reducing cost and improving access to orthopaedic care. J Orthop Trauma. 2016;30(Suppl):S3–S6. doi:10.1097/BOT.0000000000000712.
