A defensive medicine is defined as medical practices that may exonerate physicians from liability without significant benefit to patients. A Web-based survey on orthopedic surgeons’ defensive medicine in health care costs and marginal benefit to patients is offers. Certain surgical specialties (eg, spine and lower-limb surgery) have the most claims made during elective surgery, where as upper-limb surgery has the most claims made during trauma surgery. The relative frequency of claims alleging failure to prevent, diagnose, or treat complications, especially after joint replacement and fracture fixation, indicates a need for a systematic approach to surveillance for the early diagnosis and treatment complications. Many solution are being considered to reduce costs related to orthopaedic malpractice claims. However the more effective is to focus on the elements contributing to patient safety as an alternative to the current focus on the presence or absence of negligence.

A defensive medicine is defined as medical practices that may exonerate physicians from liability without significant benefit to patients. A Web-based survey on orthopedic surgeons’ defensive medicine in health care costs and marginal benefit to patients is offers. Certain surgical specialties (eg, spine and lower-limb surgery) have the most claims made during elective surgery, where as upper-limb surgery has the most claims made during trauma surgery. The relative frequency of claims alleging failure to prevent, diagnose, or treat complications, especially after joint replacement and fracture fixation, indicates a need for a systematic approach to surveillance for the early diagnosis and treatment complications. Many solution are being considered to reduce costs related to orthopaedic malpractice claims. However the more effective is to focus on the elements contributing to patient safety as an alternative to the current focus on the presence or absence of negligence.