Best hospitals for hip replacement surgery in the United States

Identifying the best hospitals for hip replacement surgery in the United States requires navigating a complex landscape of independent ranking systems, quality certification programs, and clinical outcome registries. Approximately 330,000 to 469,000 hip replacements are performed in the U.S. every year, depending on the data source, and projections from the Journal of Rheumatology estimate that figure will rise to 850,000 total hip replacements per year by 2030 and 1.4 million by 2040. 1 With musculoskeletal conditions affecting nearly half of American adults and representing a leading cause of disability, the stakes in selecting a capable institution are significant. 2

Top-Ranked Institutions by Independent Evaluations

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City holds the most sustained record in national orthopedic rankings, earning the No. 1 position in orthopedics from U.S. News and World Report for a record-setting 17th consecutive year in the 2026-2027 Best Hospitals edition. 3 U.S. News evaluated nearly 4,500 hospitals across 14 specialties, with performance assessed on patient outcomes, nursing care levels, patient-reported experience, and available technology including computer-assisted orthopedic surgery. 3 HSS is also recognized by Newsweek's Americas Best Hospitals for Specialized Care 2026 as the top-ranked institution for orthopedic care, specifically citing hip replacement surgery among its standout specialties. 2

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota holds the second position in Newsweek's 2026 orthopedic specialty rankings, with hip replacement surgery listed among its recognized standout procedures alongside knee replacement, ACL reconstruction, and shoulder replacement. 2 NYU Langone Hospitals and NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital in New York City rank third, followed by Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston at fourth, and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio at fifth in the same evaluation. 2 Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles rounds out the top six in that ranking. 2

How Ranking Methodologies Work

Different ranking bodies apply distinct methodologies, which means a hospital's position can vary considerably across lists. The U.S. News Best Hospitals assessment incorporates data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, professional organizations, and medical specialists, with increased statistical weight placed on risk-adjusted patient outcome measures such as survival and complication rates in the 2026-2027 edition. 4 The 2026-2027 edition also introduced four new regional specialty rankings, including one specifically for orthopedics, designed to help patients identify high-performing institutions closer to home rather than requiring travel to nationally prominent centers. 4

Newsweek's World's Best Specialized Hospitals 2026 ranking for orthopedics draws on three data pillars: an international online survey of healthcare professionals and hospital managers conducted between May and July 2025, accreditation data, and Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) implementation data. 5 Healthgrades publishes a separate list of the 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery through its Specialty Excellence Awards, which specifically recognizes superior patient outcomes in hip replacement, hip fracture treatment, total knee replacement, and spinal surgery. 6 Florida leads all states with 26 hospitals included on the Healthgrades orthopedic surgery list, representing the highest concentration of any single state. 6

Blue Distinction and Quality Certification Programs

Beyond media-published rankings, several formal quality certification programs identify hospitals meeting measurable clinical thresholds. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Center program for Knee and Hip Replacement designates facilities that demonstrate expertise in patient safety and deliver improved clinical outcomes. Quality assessments for this program are based on objective measures developed through a partnership with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). 7 Designated facilities nationally deliver an average of 21% fewer readmissions and 21% fewer complications within 90 days after hip and knee replacement surgery compared to non-designated facilities, and achieve cost savings averaging 30% for these procedures. 7

Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota received the Blue Distinction Center Plus designation for Knee and Hip Replacement, while Piedmont Rockdale Hospital in Georgia was named a Blue Distinction Center for hip replacement and spine surgery by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, recognized as one of only 26 facilities in the state to earn that status for knee and hip replacement. 8 The Joint Commission also awards an Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification, issued in collaboration with the AAOS, which recognizes programs meeting rigorous standards from pre-surgical consultation through recovery. 9

Procedure Trends and the Outpatient Shift

The clinical and logistical profile of hip replacement surgery is undergoing a structural transformation in 2026. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons projects that 51% of all joint replacements will be performed on an outpatient basis by 2026, a significant shift from the traditional three-to-five-day inpatient stay model. 1 Robotic-assisted surgery, computer navigation, and minimally invasive anterior hip approaches are now standard differentiators at leading institutions. The direct anterior approach, which accesses the joint from the front of the hip without cutting major muscles, is increasingly cited at high-volume programs as a technique associated with reduced postoperative pain and faster functional recovery.

The American Joint Replacement Registry, described as the world's largest arthroplasty registry by annual procedure count, has captured more than 4 million hip and knee arthroplasties in its database since 2012, providing an expanding evidence base for outcomes research. 1 U.S. News noted in its 2026-2027 methodology that it has recognized 505 Best Regional Hospitals across 49 states and Washington, D.C. for superior clinical outcomes, reflecting broader geographic distribution of high-quality orthopedic care beyond flagship urban academic centers. 4

Cost Considerations and Insurance Variables

Financial variables represent a significant practical dimension for patients evaluating hip replacement options. Uninsured patients in the United States face estimated charges of $32,000 to $65,000 or more, while Medicare patients undergoing procedures at outpatient ambulatory surgical centers pay an average out-of-pocket cost of roughly $2,154, reflecting the fragmented pricing architecture of American healthcare. 1 Insurance network status, facility type, and geographic location all affect the final patient cost. The shift toward ambulatory surgical centers rather than inpatient hospital settings is partly driven by the cost differential, though not all patients are clinical candidates for outpatient procedures.

Newsweek noted that its broader recognition framework encompasses 175 institutions categorized as Americas Best Orthopedic Hospitals, substantially widening the field beyond the small national honor roll that U.S. News maintains. 10 Patients with specific insurance plans should verify whether a top-ranked institution participates in their network, as prestige rankings do not guarantee in-network coverage, and out-of-network costs at even well-regarded academic medical centers can be substantially higher than those at regionally certified alternatives.

Patient Selection Factors and Risk Awareness

Candidates for hip replacement typically present with severe joint pain limiting mobility that has not responded to non-surgical management, including medications, physical therapy, corticosteroid injections, or assistive devices. Hip replacement surgery is most commonly performed to treat advanced arthritis, in which progressive cartilage degeneration results in bone-on-bone contact causing pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. The procedure is also applied to treat severe hip fractures and avascular necrosis, a condition in which interrupted blood supply causes deterioration of the hip bone. 11

As with any major surgical procedure, hip replacement carries inherent risks that patients and physicians must weigh against potential benefits. Postoperative complications can include infection, blood clots, implant dislocation, leg length discrepancy, and the need for revision surgery. The quality designation programs described in this report, such as the Blue Distinction Center framework, specifically use postoperative readmission and complication rates within 90 days as objective measures of institutional performance. Surgeon experience, hospital volume, and facility accreditation status are each independently associated with outcomes in published orthopedic literature, and patients are generally advised to consult their primary physicians and relevant specialists when evaluating institutional options.

Sources

1. The World Data - Hip Replacement Statistics in US 2026 (theworlddata.com)
2. Newsweek - Americas Best Hospitals for Specialized Care 2026: Orthopedic Care (rankings.newsweek.com)
3. FinancialContent / Business Wire - HSS Extends Its National Leadership with 17th Consecutive No. 1 Ranking in Orthopedics (financialcontent.com)
4. PR Newswire - U.S. News and World Report Announces 2026-2027 Best Hospitals (prnewswire.com)
5. Newsweek - Worlds Best Specialized Hospitals 2026: Orthopedics Methodology (rankings.newsweek.com)
6. Beckers Spine Review - The 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery: Healthgrades (beckersspine.com)
7. Sanford Health News - Sanford USD Medical Center Earns Knee/Hip Replacement Honor (news.sanfordhealth.org)
8. Business Insurance / Business Wire - Piedmont Rockdale Named a Blue Distinction Center for Knee Replacement, Hip Replacement and Spine Surgery (businessinsurance.com)
9. Lawrence Memorial Hospital - Total Joint Replacement at OrthoKansas (lmh.org)
10. Ampliz - Top Orthopedic Hospitals in the United States 2026 (ampliz.com)
11. Kevin Park MD - Total Hip Replacement in Houston (kevinparkmd.com)