Predicting the Need for Surgical Intervention Prior to First Encounter for Individuals With Knee Complaints: A Novel Approach

Orthopaedic complaints, particularly those relating to the knee, are some of the most common conditions that bring patients to the hospital. Many patients bypass their primary care physician to seek the care of an orthopaedic surgeon without referral, leaving the surgeon to manage an increasingly large number of patients, many of whom will never require surgery