Orthopaedics

The Department of Orthopedics of Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, was established in the 1950s. In the 1960s, it became one of the “Two Red Flags” in the national orthopedics field and was commended by Premier Zhou Enlai. In the 1980s, it became one of the first doctoral degree-granting programs in China, and in the 1990s it became a postdoctoral research station. In 2009, it was awarded the title of Advanced Collective in the National Pharmaceutical and Health System. In 2010, it was designated by the Ministry of Health as one of the first National Key Clinical Specialties in Orthopedics. In 2015, Union Hospital Orthopedic Hospital was officially established, becoming the first “hospital within a hospital” of Union Hospital. In 2020, the “National Regional Medical Center for Trauma” was established under preparation (jointly constructed by the ministry and the province); in 2021, the “National Regional Medical Center for Orthopedics” was established under preparation (jointly constructed by the ministry and the province). In 2024, the Hubei Provincial Health Commission approved the establishment of the Hubei Provincial Orthopedic Diagnosis and Treatment Center. Union Hospital Orthopedic Hospital currently has 22 wards, including 17 wards in the Orthopedic Hospital campus, 2 wards in the Main Campus, 2 wards in the Chegu Campus, and 1 ward in the Jinyintanhu Campus. It has 905 open beds. It has eight well-established subspecialties: spine, joints, trauma, tumors, pediatrics, sports medicine, hand surgery, and foot and ankle surgery; its patients come from all 34 provinces of China, and it treats various common diseases, frequently occurring diseases, rare diseases, and difficult and complicated conditions. It has a complete talent structure, with 143 practicing physicians. It has 39 senior professional titles, including 6 professors at the second-rank level and 5 professors at the third-rank level, and 43 associate senior professional titles. It has 5 international cooperative diagnosis and treatment centers. In 2025, annual outpatient visits exceeded 460,000, discharged patients exceeded 31,000, inpatient surgeries exceeded 30,000, and outpatient surgeries exceeded 4,000. Its scale and level of diagnosis and treatment are both at the domestic leading and internationally advanced levels. As project leader, the Orthopedic Hospital has led 4 key research and development programs of the Ministry of Science and Technology and has undertaken 147 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, including 1 Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China and 1 Major Research Plan project. It has also obtained funding for several special projects under the National Health Commission’s major disease prevention and treatment plans, projects under the National Defense Science and Technology Innovation Special Zone, and other fund projects. The Orthopedic Hospital has successively received 2 first prizes for scientific and technological progress in Hubei Province, 2 first prizes for technological invention in Hubei Province, 1 first prize for achievement promotion in Hubei Province, and 1 first prize for medical science and technology from the Chinese Medical Association. Over the past five years, it has published more than 600 SCI papers with the hospital as the first affiliation and the first author, including more than 200 papers with an impact factor greater than 10. In 2022, its paper impact ranked fifth globally. The Orthopedic Hospital has 25 doctoral supervisors and 38 master’s supervisors. It has cumulatively trained more than 160 doctoral students and more than 500 master’s students. The Orthopedic Hospital is a National Demonstration Base for Standardized Training of Resident Physicians and one of the first National Clinical Competency Training Centers. It has 37 responsible supervisors and 70 teaching instructors, and has cumulatively enrolled 302 trainees in standardized resident physician training. Over the past 5 years, it has trained more than 400 orthopedic visiting physicians. Looking to the future, Union Hospital Orthopedic Hospital will uphold the philosophy of “benevolence and dedication to helping the world, unity and harmony through sincerity,” forge ahead with pioneering and enterprising efforts, work tirelessly, establish the National Regional Medical Center for Orthopedics and the National Regional Medical Center for Trauma, and strive toward the goal of becoming a world-class orthopedic hospital with Chinese characteristics! Distribution of subspecialty wards: Spine Surgery: 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th floors of Building 2, Orthopedic Hospital campus; 29th floor of Building 1, Surgical Building, Main Campus; East and West sections of the 9th floor of the Surgical Building, Chegu Campus. Joint Surgery: 11th and 12th floors of Building 2, Orthopedic Hospital campus; 29th floor of Building 1, Surgical Building, Main Campus; East and West sections of the 9th floor of the Surgical Building, Chegu Campus. Orthopedic Trauma: 7th and 8th floors of Building 2, Orthopedic Hospital campus; 29th floor of Building 1, Surgical Building, Main Campus; East and West sections of the 9th floor of the Surgical Building, Chegu Campus; Ward D2, Jinyintanhu Campus. Orthopedic Oncology: 6th floor of Building 3, Orthopedic Hospital campus; Ward D2, Jinyintanhu Campus. Department of Sports Medicine: 2nd and 3rd floors of Building 3, Orthopedic Hospital campus; East and West sections of the 9th floor of the Surgical Building, Chegu Campus. Pediatric Orthopedics: 4th floor of Building 3, Orthopedic Hospital campus. Foot and Ankle Surgery: 4th floor of the Outpatient Building, Orthopedic Hospital campus. Hand Surgery: 9th and 10th floors of Building 2, Orthopedic Hospital campus; 28th floor of Building 1, Surgical Building, Main Campus.