Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Christopher Klifto, M.D.
Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Physician · Durham, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating.
This page presents federal public records about Dr. Klifto from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
Are you Dr. Klifto?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Klifto
Dr. Christopher Klifto is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Durham, NC, with 15 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Klifto performed 3,300 Medicare services across 1,507 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Klifto received a total of $375,541 from 26 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 494 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic hand surgery physician. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Klifto is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 15 years in practice
▲ Top 13% volume in NC
$375,541 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,300
Medicare services
Top 13% in NC for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
1,507
Unique beneficiaries
$59
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~220 Medicare services per year of practice
Top procedures by volume
Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.
| Procedure | Volume | Avg. paid | Avg. submitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
710 | $0 | $4 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
684 | $1 | $6 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views An X-ray imaging test of the shoulder joint using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
405 | $23 | $141 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
374 | $89 | $255 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate. |
265 | $5 | $18 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
144 | $51 | $220 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
114 | $58 | $172 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
80 | $108 | $390 |
| X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
77 | $24 | $172 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
75 | $37 | $210 |
| Total shoulder joint prosthetic repair Surgical replacement of the shoulder joint with a prosthetic device. This procedure involves removing damaged joint components and inserting artificial parts to restore function. |
66 | $1,074 | $6,839 |
| Wrist X-ray, minimum 3 views An imaging test using X-rays to capture at least three different angles of the wrist bones and joints. |
53 | $29 | $133 |
| Elbow X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
44 | $22 | $156 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
42 | $34 | $171 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
38 | $113 | $344 |
| Hand nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand. |
29 | $237 | $2,090 |
| Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair A minimally invasive surgery to repair torn shoulder tendons using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
20 | $764 | $4,208 |
| Anchoring of biceps tendon | 19 | $281 | $2,537 |
| Arthroscopic shoulder debridement A minimally invasive procedure to remove damaged or excess tissue from the shoulder joint using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
18 | $88 | $2,401 |
| Arthroscopic shoulder surgery for bone shaving and ligament repair A minimally invasive procedure using a small camera to shave part of the shoulder bone and repair a ligament. |
18 | $122 | $2,557 |
| Open treatment of distal radius fracture with internal fixation Surgical repair of a broken wrist bone involving three or more fragments on the thumb side, stabilized with an internal device. |
14 | $729 | $3,504 |
| Treatment of upper arm bone broken at shoulder joint This procedure involves the medical management of a fracture in the humerus bone at the shoulder joint. It focuses on stabilizing the broken bone to facilitate healing. |
11 | $295 | $2,446 |
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.
0.5% high complexity
58.2% medium
41.3% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$375,541
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $53,649/year across 7 years
Top 2% in NC for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
26
Companies
494
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$325,069 (86.6%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$41,384 (11.0%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$9,088 (2.4%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$147,931
2023
$82,272
2022
$66,431
2021
$28,056
2020
$20,180
2019
$28,047
2018
$2,623
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$142,393
Stryker Corporation
$5,006
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$144
AXOGEN
$143
Onkos Surgical, Inc.
$126
Biocircuit Technologies Inc
$118
Top 3 companies account for 99.7% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$297,778
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$49,375
ACUMED LLC
$12,373
Stryker Corporation
$7,840
Southtech Orthopedics
$2,406
Medartis Inc.
$1,463
EXACTECH, INC.
$579
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$522
Bioventus LLC
$509
Ascension Orthopedics, Inc.
$500
Checkpoint Surgical, Inc
$290
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$268
SouthTech Orthopedics
$264
OsteoCentric Technologies, Inc.
$215
ENCORE MEDICAL, LP
$150
AXOGEN
$143
Arthrosurface Incorporated
$129
Onkos Surgical, Inc.
$126
ExsoMed Corporation
$118
Biocircuit Technologies Inc
$118
Next Science LLC
$111
Exactech, Inc.
$97
OSSIO INC
$91
TriMed, Inc.
$38
ERMI Inc.
$24
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 95.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
A.L.P.S. · ACUMED · AEQUALIS ASCEND FLEX · AEQUALIS PERFORM · AETOS Shoulder System · APTUS · Aptus · Ascension · Avance Nerve Graft · BILAYER WOUND MATRIX (BWM) · BLUEPRINT PATIENT SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTATION · Bioinductive Implant with Arthroscopic Delivery System - Medium · BlastX · Bone Anchors with Arthroscopic Delivery System · CADENCE · CADENCE ANKLE REPLACEMENT SYSTEM · Checkpoint Stimulators · DJO Surgical AltiVate Reverse · DVR Anatomic Kickstand · Double ENDOBUTTON · Double Pump RF · ELEOS LIMB SALVAGE SYSTEM · EQUINOXE · EVOS · EVOS SMALL · EXTERNAL FIXATION SYSTEM · Evos Mini · Exogen · Exogen Ultrasound Bone Healing System · FAST-FIX · FLOWABLE · FREEDOM WRIST · FREEDOM Wrist · HEADLESS COMPRESSION SCREWS · HEALICOIL · INnate Implant · Integra · MICRORAPTOR · NA · OsteoCentric 4.0 x 130mm LOCKING BONE SCREW FASTENER ST · POLAR3 · PRO · PYRO MCP · REAL INTELLIGENCE · REUNION · REVERSE SHOULDER · RI Hip Navigation · SALTO TALARIS TOTAL ANKLE PROSTHESIS · SURGX · SpeedSpiral · Stimrouter Implantable Kit · TITAN REVERSE SHOULDER SYSTEM · TITAN Shoulder · TITAN-SHOULDER · TRIAD · TRIGEN INTERTAN · TSS · TWINFIX · Taylor Spatial Frame · Titan · VA-LCP · XIAFLEX
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →
The majority of payments (87%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 2% for orthopaedic hand surgery physician in NC.
Geographic Context
Orthopaedic hand surgery physicians within 10 mi
9
Per 100K population
2.7
County median income
$79,501
Nearest hospital
DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
5.1 mi
5.1 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | Monthly updates |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Klifto is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 13% in NC), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 2% of NC peers, with 15 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Klifto experienced with dexamethasone injection (steroid)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Klifto performed 710 dexamethasone injection (steroid) services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Klifto receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Klifto received a total of $375,541 from 26 companies across 494 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. Klifto's costs compare to other orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in Durham?
Dr. Klifto's average Medicare payment per service is $59. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. Klifto) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.
This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. Data Coverage reflects data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.
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