A validated capacity assessment tool designed to strengthen orthopedic surgery capabilities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has demonstrated excellent reliability and practical utility in pilot testing, addressing a critical healthcare disparity that affects millions globally. The Capacity Assessment Tool for Orthopedic Surgery (CAT-os) provides systematic evaluation frameworks for surgical outreach programs targeting regions where orthopedic surgeon availability stands at just 1 per million residents compared to 100 per million in high-income countries.

The tool’s development addresses significant infrastructure gaps in global orthopedic care, where musculoskeletal injuries constitute a substantial proportion of worldwide disease, with access limited to many due to the availability and cost of devices. Published validation studies demonstrate that the CAT-os framework achieves excellent reliability and good usability in assessing needs for capacity building in orthopedic surgery, consistent with stakeholder perspectives, establishing objective metrics for measuring surgical outreach impact.

The strategic implications extend beyond immediate care delivery to systematic healthcare infrastructure development. Unlike traditional short-term surgical missions, the CAT-os methodology emphasizes sustainable capacity building through structured assessment protocols that detail steps to assess the capacity of a local facility, guide capacity-improvement efforts during surgical outreach, and measure the impact of capacity-building efforts. This approach aligns with WHO recommendations for long-term healthcare system strengthening rather than episodic intervention models.

From a market perspective, the validated tool addresses regulatory and funding requirements increasingly demanded by healthcare organizations and development agencies. As surgical outreach programs face scrutiny over sustainability and measurable outcomes, the CAT-os framework provides evidence-based methodology for demonstrating capacity-building effectiveness. The tool’s systematic approach could influence funding allocation decisions and regulatory approval processes for global health initiatives.

The orthopedic surgery capacity crisis represents a substantial unmet medical need, with profound implications for disability prevention and economic productivity in affected regions. Future clinical milestones will likely focus on technology transfer protocols and training standardization, positioning the CAT-os methodology as a foundational framework for scalable surgical capacity development across multiple specialties and geographic regions.