Expert Spotlight: Dr. Nolan Horner on the Future of Orthopedic Care

Emporia’s Expert Spotlights series shines a light on leaders across industries who bring deep expertise, a spirit of innovation, and practical insights for researchers and decision-makers. For our inaugural interview, we spoke with Dr. Nolan Horner, an orthopedic surgeon practicing in Chicago, Illinois, whose thoughtful perspective bridges hands-on patient care and the evolving world of medical technology.

About Dr. Nolan Horner

Dr. Horner is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in arthroscopic surgery of the hip, knee, and shoulder, as well as shoulder replacements and trauma care. He completed his medical training at McMaster University in Canada and a fellowship at Rush University in Chicago. Four and a half years into practice, he divides his time evenly between the clinic and the operating room:

“My day-to-day is kind of split 50-50 between office time and operative time… I perform arthroscopic surgeries of the hip, knee, and shoulder. I also do shoulder replacements and some general trauma—fractures like wrists, clavicles, ankles.”

The Shifting Landscape of Orthopedic Care

Dr. Horner sees orthopedic practice rapidly evolving toward more efficient and patient-friendly care models:

“People are being admitted for lower amounts of time… We’re seeing a transition away from surgeries being done in hospitals toward ambulatory surgery centers.”

He points to technological improvements and refined surgical techniques that now allow traditionally complex procedures—like hip and knee replacements—to be performed safely on an outpatient basis. At the same time, he notes how AI tools are starting to enter daily clinical practice:

“Some people have started adopting AI scribes… to reduce administrative burden. We’re also seeing AI used by insurance companies and providers for authorization purposes.”

While early, he believes these developments are paving the way for broader clinical integration.

Where Innovation Still Lags

Despite major progress, Dr. Horner highlights a key gap: treating patients who fall between non-surgical and full-replacement options.

“One of the most challenging patients I see is the middle-aged person with early degenerative changes in their knee… they’re too young for a knee replacement but not a great candidate for an arthroscopic procedure. There just doesn’t exist a really good option for them yet.”

He hopes to see new technologies emerge that fill this “in-between zone,” improving quality of life for a large, underserved group.

How Surgeons Evaluate New Innovations

When assessing emerging devices or techniques, Dr. Horner looks for rigorous data and trusted sources:

“Number one, it’s going to be the primary literature—what has actually been published. I also talk to other people who have already performed the procedure or used the technique that I trust.”

He adds that his openness to trying new methods depends on whether the existing solutions already perform well:

“If there’s no current good option, then I think the threshold to try something new is probably lower.”

The Human Side of Orthopedics

Beyond the science and technology, Dr. Horner remains grounded in patient outcomes:

“The most rewarding part of my job is seeing someone come in with a concrete issue and being able to restore them back to normal or very close to it.”

However, he acknowledges systemic challenges—especially around access and insurance:

“It’s tough to see somebody that you really feel like you could make a big difference in their life, but you’re limited based on their insurance status.”

A Balanced View of the Future

Dr. Horner describes himself as “cautiously optimistic” about where healthcare is heading:

“Evolving technologies and artificial intelligence will allow us to solve problems that previously were not solvable… But with an aging population and rising costs, healthcare spending is progressing at a not-sustainable rate.”

Advice for Healthcare Innovators

His message to researchers, startups, and health-tech leaders is simple yet profound:

“Find and regularly speak to the providers at the ground level—they’ll tell you what the biggest problems that still need to be solved are. Those are the problems that will have the biggest impact on healthcare and society as a whole.”

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