Sportklinik Hellersen ranks among Germany’s largest orthopedic clinics
Sportklinik Hellersen is the second-largest specialized orthopedic clinic in North Rhine-Westphalia and ranks among the five largest orthopedic clinics in Germany—according to the latest evaluation of “Top 5 Clinics in Orthopedics” by the data analyst Gesundheitsmarkt.de. With 83 percent of its staff consisting of board-certified specialists, it even achieves the highest score among the top-ranked clinics by a wide margin. The basis for the German ranking is the evaluation of the 2024 quality reports among all hospitals authorized to treat patients with statutory health insurance.
When it comes to treating conditions related to the musculoskeletal system, the Sportklinik Hellersen in Lüdenscheid, South Westphalia, is one of Germany’s leading specialized clinics for orthopedics, trauma surgery, sports medicine, and joint replacement. Now, its strong focus and high concentration of specialist expertise have been confirmed by an independent body: With a total of 6,733 inpatient cases (2024), the specialist clinic had the highest proportion of specialists (83 percent; 35 specialists out of 42 physicians) in the overall results of the five largest orthopedic clinics. On average, each specialist handled 192 cases.
By comparison: At the largest clinic in Herne (North Rhine-Westphalia), with 26,274 inpatient cases, a specialist ratio of 32 percent (23 specialists out of 73 physicians) resulted in approximately 1,142 inpatient treatments per year per specialist. Clinics in metropolitan regions such as Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin (7,776 cases / 3rd place) and Helios ENDO-Klinik Hamburg (7,435 cases / 4th place) achieved a specialist ratio of about 50 percent with comparable case numbers.
Independent orthopedic ranking with high credibility
“Our promise is to provide top-tier orthopedic care,” affirms Dirk Burghaus, CEO of Sportklinik Hellersen. “The national comparison serves as objective confirmation for us that we ensure our high level of specialization with above-average specialist quality in order to provide our patients with medical care of the highest standard.”
The “TOP 5 Clinics in Orthopedics” ranking by the Gesundheitsmarkt.de editorial team is based on data from the structured quality reports published by the Joint Federal Committee for the 2,217 clinics authorized under Section 108 of the German Social Code, Book V (SGB V) to treat patients with statutory health insurance. They are required to provide their performance and structural data (e.g., staffing structure, type and number of services performed) as well as the results of data-driven quality assurance procedures (quality indicators and key figures) annually on a location-by-location basis. In the year of the survey, the reporting year 2024 served as the basis for the current data set. At that time, there were a total of 464 specialist departments for orthopedics, orthopedics with a focus on surgery, trauma surgery, or spinal surgery, in which approximately 3,429 specialists in orthopedics and trauma surgery were employed.
80 Years Ahead Through Continuous Progress
The South Westphalian specialty clinic was founded in 1946 by Sporthilfe NRW e.V. and has developed over the past 80 years into a nationally recognized center of excellence for modern orthopedics. Each year, approximately 50,000 patients—including top athletes, children, and adults—receive outpatient and inpatient treatment here. Since 2023, the Sportklinik Hellersen has also been focusing specifically on expanding international networks and global knowledge transfer through the “Hellersen Hospital.” In this context, it was recently certified by the Arab Board of Health Specializations and is now the first hospital in the world authorized to offer specialist training for the Arab specialty of orthopedics and trauma surgery outside the Arab states.
Specialization and the proportion of board-certified specialists as a mark of quality
“We are a highly specialized hospital where medical excellence and international networking are both practiced and promoted,” explains Dirk Burghaus, who has been actively shaping the future of the specialized clinic for nearly ten years as Chairman of the Board of the hospital’s operating body, Sporthilfe NRW e.V. “Many top physicians are looking for exactly this kind of clinical environment, which is why professional athletes and non-athletes alike benefit from the highly specialized, cutting-edge medical care at our clinic.”
Press Contact
Sarah Burghaus
Head of Marketing, PR & Customer Service, Press Spokesperson
sarah.burghaus@hellersen.de
Marketing & PR
marketing@hellersen.de
