2026 Forecast Verified

Knee Replacement Surgery Cost in Tennessee (2026)

Modest savings vs. the US average · TN

Tennessee Average
$32,970
▼ -5.8% below national
Typical Range
$18,840 – $47,100
National avg: $35,000
Editorial view of Tennessee
Regional Pricing Confidence
87% Confidence Index
The Tennessee Market

What Drives Pricing Here

Three factors explain most of why knee replacement surgery costs what it does in Tennessee.

Regional Price Parity

Tennessee's cost-of-living index sits at 94.2 — meaningfully below the national benchmark (100). This directly scales facility and staffing overhead, which flow through to every procedure price.

Specialist Availability

80 facilities perform this procedure in Tennessee — competition keeps pricing honest and gives you real leverage to shop quotes.

Vs. National Benchmark

At -5.8% below the national average ($35,000), Tennessee is a discount market. Often driven by lower overhead or less metro concentration — quality can still be excellent.

State Context

Knee Replacement Surgery in Tennessee: What to Know

Tennessee offers excellent options for knee replacement surgery. High-volume centers like Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville perform thousands of joint replacements annually, with Vanderbilt Orthopaedics recognized as a Blue Distinction Center. TriStar Centennial Medical Center and Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville also handle hundreds of cases yearly. Patients travel globally to Nashville Knee and Shoulder for orthopedic care, highlighting the state's expertise. Many facilities, including OrthoKnox and Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance, utilize robotic-assisted surgery for precision.

For potential savings, consider ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee in Franklin and Southern Sports Medicine in Gallatin offer outpatient knee replacement, with ASC procedures often costing significantly less than hospital-based surgery. This can lead to substantial personal savings and typically offers shorter recovery times. Verify current pricing directly with providers.

Itemized Breakdown

Estimated Cost Breakdown in Tennessee

You'll pay a bit less for knee replacement surgery in Tennessee compared to the national average. Here's how costs are distributed.

Facility Fee

OR time and hospital staffing

$6,923 - $12,858

Most significant cost

Surgeon Fee

Expertise and experience level

$6,923 - $12,858

Implants & Supplies

$3,461 - $6,429

Post-Op Care

Recovery and aftercare

$3,461 - $6,429

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist or CRNA fee

$2,308 - $4,286

Total Estimated Cost

Tennessee all-in range

$18,840 – $47,100

Financing Options

Many Tennessee clinics partner with CareCredit or Alphaeon. A typical 24-month, 0% APR term on $32,970 looks like:

$1,374/mo
Est. 24 months · 0% APR promo
  • Soft credit check — no hard pull
  • Instant approval decisions
  • HSA/FSA eligible for qualifying cases

Cost estimates are adjusted for regional pricing. See how we calculate state-level costs →

Ranges adjusted for Tennessee's regional price parity (94.2). See the national percentage breakdown →

Hospital-Level Data

Facility Costs in Tennessee

Facilities in Tennessee offer knee replacement surgery in different settings, each with distinct pricing. These are actual negotiated rates from Medicare claims, not billed charges.

Facility City Negotiated Rate Medicare Volume
Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Nashville $11,568 $9,967 896
Tristar Centennial Medical Center Nashville $11,633 $10,031 738
Parkwest Medical Center Knoxville $10,934 $9,333 685
Jackson-Madison County General Hospital Jackson $12,078 $10,478 562
Williamson Medical Center Franklin $11,629 $10,028 537
Methodist Hospitals Of Memphis Memphis $11,467 $9,864 537
Memorial Healthcare System, Inc Chattanooga $11,458 $9,856 468
Erlanger Medical Center Chattanooga $11,383 $9,780 398
Baptist Memorial Hospital Memphis $11,464 $9,862 373
Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville $7,858 $6,599 367
Facility City Negotiated Rate Medicare Volume
Methodist Hospitals Of Memphis Memphis $16,542 $12,165 144
Erlanger Medical Center Chattanooga $16,657 $12,456 134
Parkwest Medical Center Knoxville $11,995 $9,921 116
Memorial Healthcare System, Inc Chattanooga $11,946 $10,294 106
Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Nashville $14,488 $11,852 91
Tristar Centennial Medical Center Nashville $14,101 $11,767 91
Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville $20,419 $14,435 71
Parkridge Medical Center Chattanooga $14,330 $11,651 69
Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro $14,221 $12,544 57
St Francis Hospital Memphis $13,524 $11,219 47
Regional Comparison

Knee Replacement Surgery Cost in Nearby States

Neighboring states offer a range of knee replacement surgery pricing. Tennessee falls in the middle of the pack.

Mississippi
$30,975
-6.1% vs TN
Alabama
$31,675
-3.9% vs TN
Arkansas
$31,920
-3.2% vs TN
Missouri
$32,130
-2.5% vs TN
Kentucky
$32,305
-2.0% vs TN
Georgia
$34,300
+4.0% vs TN
North Carolina
$34,580
+4.9% vs TN
Virginia
$36,120
+9.6% vs TN
Common Questions

Expert Answers for Tennessee Patients

Local regulations, insurance nuance, and surgical standards specific to Tennessee.

Compare Tennessee with any other state

See national pricing, all 50 state comparisons, and detailed cost factors in the main knee replacement surgery cost guide.

View full knee replacement surgery guide
How much does knee replacement surgery cost in Tennessee?
Tennessee patients pay an average of $32,970 for knee replacement surgery. Quotes from individual providers generally fall between $18,840 and $47,100, with facility fees and surgeon experience accounting for most of the variation.
Will my health insurance pay for knee replacement surgery?
Most insurance plans cover knee replacement surgery when it's deemed medically necessary. You'll typically need pre-authorization from your insurer, and staying in-network with a Tennessee provider will minimize your out-of-pocket share.
What's the recovery time for knee replacement surgery?
The recovery timeline for knee replacement surgery is 42 to 120 days. Here's the general pattern: days 1-42 involve significant rest, days 42-120 are a gradual return to activity. Tennessee patients should also budget for post-op care costs — follow-up visits, pain management, and any required imaging or lab work.
What payment options exist for knee replacement surgery in Tennessee?
Financing knee replacement surgery in Tennessee is straightforward. Options include medical credit lines (CareCredit, Alphaeon Credit), your surgeon's in-house installment plan, or HSA/FSA dollars if the procedure has a medical component. Always compare the total cost with interest against a cash-pay discount.
How do I choose a knee replacement surgery facility in Tennessee?
Start with case volume — facilities that perform more procedures generally have better outcomes. In Tennessee, also compare hospital vs. ambulatory surgery center pricing (ASCs can be 30-50% cheaper) and check whether your insurance network includes the facility.
Can I save by getting knee replacement surgery in a neighboring state?
Mississippi runs $1,995 cheaper for knee replacement surgery than Tennessee. For patients near the state line, that 6% difference can justify the trip. Ask your Tennessee surgeon if they coordinate with out-of-state providers for post-op monitoring.
Can Medicaid help pay for knee replacement surgery in Tennessee?
Medicaid in Tennessee can cover knee replacement surgery when there's a documented medical need. The key is pre-authorization — your physician will need to submit clinical justification to your managed care organization before the procedure is approved.
Data Sources & References

How we calculate knee replacement surgery costs in Tennessee

Cost estimates combine procedure-specific pricing data with regional cost-of-living and provider-supply adjustments. Primary sources:

  • •
    Hospital pricing transparency files — CMS-required machine-readable data published by hospitals under the CMS Hospital Price Transparency rule (effective January 2021). Provides actual negotiated rates between hospitals and insurers.
  • •
    HCUP (Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project) — AHRQ's HCUP databases provide nationally-representative procedure cost data by state, payer, and patient demographics.
  • •
    Bureau of Labor Statistics — Healthcare Practitioner Occupational Wages — BLS OEWS data on surgeon, anesthesiologist, and surgical staff wages by state, used to model regional labor-cost differences in procedure pricing.
  • •
    BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis state-level price-level indices, used to adjust national procedure averages for Tennessee's cost-of-living relative to the national mean.
  • •
    FAIR Health Consumer Cost Lookup — the FAIR Health database aggregates billed and allowed amounts from over 36 billion claim records, providing a check on procedure-cost ranges by ZIP code.
  • •
    Medicare Provider Utilization & Payment Data — CMS public-use files on Medicare-allowed amounts and submitted charges by HCPCS/CPT code and state, used as a baseline for procedure-cost ranges.

Estimates are illustrative and reflect typical pricing ranges; actual costs depend on insurance coverage, surgical complexity, anesthesia type, hospital vs. ambulatory setting, and individual patient factors. Always confirm pricing directly with providers and your insurance carrier. See our methodology page for full calculation details.

Compare Knee Replacement Surgery Cost in Every State

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY