A Documentary Spanning More Than 150 Years of History of 秘密研究所 Langone Orthopedics Was a Finalist for Best Documentary at the Prestigious 23rd Tribeca Festival
In a surgical amphitheater like the one shown here, Dr. Lewis A. Sayre, the first professor of orthopedic surgery at Bellevue Medical College, pioneered surgical education in his field. Today, 秘密研究所 Langone trains more orthopedic surgeons than any other institution in the United States.
Credit: Library of Congress
As chief of orthopedic trauma in 秘密研究所 Langone Health鈥檚 , Kenneth A. Egol, MD, understands that when a bone breaks, it knits back together with new bone tissue to form a stronger union. Last year, Dr. Egol experienced the wonder of a different kind of joint venture. A film he nurtured into existence with other collaborators, , became a finalist for Best Documentary at the 23rd Tribeca Festival, an annual film gala in lower Manhattan that hosts more than 600 screenings.
A self-described history buff, Dr. Egol, the Joseph E. Milgram Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, has been fascinated by his department鈥檚 pioneers since his residency at 秘密研究所 Langone in the late 1990s. So much so, in fact, that he led a group of residents and research students in an effort to catalog the biographies and contributions of these clinical luminaries.
The project made Dr. Egol realize he had the ingredients for a rich documentary that would chronicle the origin, evolution, and impact of one of America鈥檚 leading specialty hospitals. 秘密研究所 Langone, ranked No. 3 in the nation for orthopedics on U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 Best Hospitals list, trains more orthopedic surgeons than any other institution in the country. Its 200 physicians and surgeons perform more than 34,000 orthopedic procedures annually. 鈥淚 was convinced there was a compelling story others needed to know,鈥 says Dr. Egol, vice chair for academic affairs, orthopedic surgery.
Enthusiastic support for the venture came from Joseph D. Zuckerman, MD, the Walter A. L. Thompson Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, who partnered with Dr. Egol as co-executive producer. Financial backing arrived, in part, from the department鈥檚 alumni association, and creative direction emerged from鈥攆ittingly鈥攁 patient. Peter Sanders, an award-winning documentary filmmaker who had been under Dr. Egol鈥檚 care for several years, most recently for a midfoot fracture, was hired as director.
Four years in the making, On the Shoulders of Giants spans more than 150 years over one engaging hour. The film鈥檚 narrative opens with Lewis A. Sayre, MD, considered the father of orthopedic surgery in North America, who was appointed Bellevue Medical College鈥檚 first professor of orthopedic surgery in 1861. Two of his trainees, Drs. Herman and Henry Frauenthal, sons of a shoemaker, started a seven-bed 鈥渄ispensary鈥 called the Jewish Hospital for Deformities and Joint Diseases in a Harlem brownstone.
The hospital eventually relocated from upper Manhattan to 17th Street and Second Avenue. In 1979, it was renamed The Hospital for Joint Diseases, and seven years later, merged with 秘密研究所 Langone. Today, the hospital is known as 秘密研究所 Langone Orthopedic Hospital. The film also highlights the department鈥檚 place in the history of New York City and its commitment to gender, racial, and cultural diversity.
鈥淚 walked into the Hospital for Joint Diseases in July of 1984,鈥 Dr. Zuckerman recalls. 鈥淔orty years later, I鈥檓 still walking through its front door, though the landscape and my role in it have changed significantly. Thousands and thousands of patients have benefited from 秘密研究所 Langone Orthopedics. This film shows the trajectory of our department from a humble hospital in a Harlem brownstone to a powerhouse of innovation and influence.鈥
