The ONS Foundation for Clinical Research and Education celebrated the completion of their new Arthroscopy, Surgical Skills and Biomechanical Laboratory at a grand opening and “Tee-off” party on April 26^th. Donors and surgeons alike mingled around stainless steel arthroscopy stations soon to be the hub of orthopedic and neurosurgical research and surgical skills training for surgeons from around the world.

After just four years of planning, the ONS Foundation, a Greenwich Hospital alliance, has completed the half million dollar facility, located on the lower level of the medical offices of ONS at 6 Greenwich Office Park.  According to orthopedic surgeon and ONS Foundation President Dr. Paul Sethi, the new facility will provide the ultimate opportunity for physicians to critically evaluate arthroscopic surgery techniques in a laboratory setting. He anticipates the lab to become a regional center for medical innovation.

The lab will also be the site for surgical training. Work gets underway this month when a team of surgeons from Germany arrives to study sports medicine. Later in May, a group of American surgeons will study total ankle replacement. In June, surgeons from China will study techniques in knee arthroscopy.

The celebration also kicked off the Foundation’s 4^th annual benefit golf outing that takes place at the Stanwich Club on June 11^th ONS Foundation Vice President Vicki Leeds Tananbaum, Michael Clain, MD and Brian Matthews are 2012 outing co-chairs. Players will enjoy a round of golf, lunch, cocktails, an elaborate buffet dinner and auction that is co-chaired by Sandy Hart and Robert Klein.

Funds to build the Arthroscopy, Surgical Skills and Biomechanical Laboratorywere raised through fundraising events in behalf of the ONS Foundation, Foundation Board member Milton Sender, Greenwich Hospital, and Leon Lowenstein Foundation, Inc. in behalf of Joanna B. and Ken Schulman. Funds raised from this year’s golf outing will go towards biomechanical testing equipment for the lab.