Joint Replacement and Sports Medicine in China

What this page covers

Joint replacement (knee, hip) and sports-medicine procedures (ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair, rotator cuff) are among the most standardized surgeries in orthopedics. China's top orthopedic hospitals perform very high volumes — Beijing Jishuitan Hospital alone reports over 7,000 orthopedic surgeries per year.

This page explains what a foreign patient needs to plan: which hospitals have orthopedic departments with international access, what costs look like, how long the trip takes, and what follow-up looks like after you go home.

Why China for orthopedics

• Wait times. In the UK, the median wait for a hip or knee replacement on the NHS was over 40 weeks as of 2024. Canada reports similar waits. China's private payment system means no waiting list — you book when the surgeon has a slot.
• Surgeon volume. Chinese orthopedic surgeons at top centers perform far more procedures per year than most Western surgeons. High volume is consistently associated with better outcomes in joint replacement literature.
• Cost. Self-pay knee replacement at a top Chinese international department runs roughly ¥90,000–160,000 ($12,000–22,000), cheaper than the US ($30,000–60,000) but more expensive than India ($5,000–9,000) or Turkey ($6,000–12,000). The price includes an imported implant. China's national procurement program lowered domestic implant costs, but international departments set their own fees. These are estimates, not hospital quotes — see the cost table below.
• Implant quality. Major Chinese hospitals use the same international implant brands (Zimmer Biomet, DePuy Synthes, Stryker, Smith & Nephew) as Western centers. The hospital can tell you which implant they plan to use.

Hospitals with orthopedic strength and international access

Hospital	City	Known for	International dept
Beijing Jishuitan Hospital	Beijing	China's leading orthopedic hospital; 7 national key specialties including orthopedics, hand surgery, burns, sports medicine	Pending [blocked, being unblocked]
Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital	Shanghai	Orthopedics, especially fracture and microsurgery	Confirmed
Huashan Hospital	Shanghai	Sports medicine (part of the 13 pilot hospitals)	Confirmed
Peking University Third Hospital	Beijing	Sports medicine, joint surgery	Listed
West China Hospital, Sichuan University	Chengdu	One of China's largest hospitals; orthopedics department	Confirmed

This is not a ranking. We list hospitals whose orthopedic departments and international access we have checked or are in the process of checking.

What it costs

Procedure	US (estimate)	India	Turkey	China international dept (estimate)	Source
Total knee replacement	$30,000–60,000	$5,000–9,000	$6,000–12,000	¥90,000–160,000 ($12,000–22,000)	See below
Total hip replacement	$30,000–60,000	$5,000–9,000	$7,000–12,000	Similar range (estimate)	—
ACL reconstruction	$20,000–50,000	$3,000–6,000	$5,000–8,000	Not yet verified	—

China prices explained. The range above is for self-pay at a top hospital's international or VIP department, including an imported implant (Zimmer, Stryker or equivalent), surgery, and a private room:

• Beijing Jishuitan Hospital: estimated ¥100,000–160,000. Jishuitan's orthopedic department is China's top-ranked; its VIP/international ward charges ¥400–1,000/day for a private room. An imported implant outside the national procurement program costs roughly ¥30,000–60,000 as a single component. Robot-assisted surgery adds ¥10,000–20,000.
• Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital: estimated ¥90,000–140,000 ($12,000–18,000). The Sixth People's Hospital is a designated National Orthopedic Medical Center. Robot-assisted options are available at additional cost.

These are estimates from medical-information sites and hospital-adjacent sources, not official hospital quotes. International-department pricing is set by the hospital and may differ from what domestic patients pay under insurance. Ask the hospital for a written estimate that separates the implant, surgical fee, anesthesia, hospital stay, and any robot surcharge. Sources: OrientHealthLink, MedoraChina (both are third-party medical-information sites, not hospital pages).

Medvoyal's planning help is free. Hospital and surgeon fees are paid by you directly to the hospital.

Medvoyal's planning help is free. Hospital and surgeon fees are paid by you directly to the hospital.

How long you need to stay

Phase	Duration	Notes
Pre-operative assessment	2–3 days	Imaging, blood work, surgeon consultation
Surgery + hospital stay	3–5 days (joint replacement); 1–2 days (arthroscopy)
Early recovery and first follow-up	7–10 days	Physiotherapy begins; suture removal
Total	2–3 weeks (joint replacement); 10–14 days (arthroscopy)

30-day visa-free entry covers this for passport holders from the 50 eligible countries. If your recovery takes longer, you may need to apply for an extension or arrange an S2 visa in advance. See our visa guide.

Follow-up after returning home

This is the most important planning step for orthopedic surgery abroad:

1. Before you leave China: get a discharge summary in English, the implant card (manufacturer, model, size, lot number), the physiotherapy protocol, and the surgeon's recommended follow-up schedule.
2. At home: your local physiotherapist continues the rehabilitation program. Bring the protocol.
3. Follow-up imaging: typically at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year. Your local orthopedic surgeon can do these.
4. Complications: infection and blood clots are the main short-term risks. Know the signs before you fly. Your travel insurance should cover emergency care for post-surgical complications. See our follow-up guide.

What Medvoyal does and doesn't do

We do	We don't
Help you contact the hospital's orthopedic international department	Recommend a specific surgeon or implant
Coordinate records handoff (imaging, reports) with your consent	Read or interpret your medical records
Plan visa, accommodation, physiotherapy logistics	Guarantee surgical outcomes or acceptance
Free	Charge based on treatment value

In an emergency

In a medical emergency in China, call 120. Do not wait for Medvoyal or a companion. We are not an emergency service.