For clinicians seeking to advance their specialty, a grasp of its history is essential. One way to deepen that understanding is by examining the development of a single institution. The following film series explores the rich history of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU Langone Health. On The Shoulders of Giants was the first collaboration between the Department and award-winning documentarian Peter Sanders. The hour-long film was featured in the documentary category at the 2024 Tribeca X Film Festival. After the successful premiere of this film, members of the Alumni Association partnered with Sanders on the production of shorter films detailing key moments in the history of the Department.

These vignettes detail the origins of the Department, starting with Lewis A. Sayer, the first Professor of Orthopedic Surgery in the United States in 1861, through the establishment of a single specialty orthopedic hospital in 1905, to the development of orthopedic oncology and foot and ankle surgery as subspecialties within the field, to the first female orthopedic surgeon trained in the United States in 1930, the development of the first hospital based division of hand surgery, the first use of the arthroscope and the introduction of orthopedic biomechanics to the American continent are just some of the historical details that unfold in the chapters below.

Biographies (in chronological order)

Lewis Sayre: First Professor of Orthopedic Surgery in North America
Henry and Herman Frauenthal: Visionaries in the Foundation of Orthopedic Surgery
Marian Frauenthal-Sloane: Pioneer in Gender Equity in Orthopedic Surgery
Henry Finkelstein: Physician, Innovator, Mentor
Leo Mayer: Pioneer in Tendon Surgery
Paul Lapidus: The Father of Foot and Ankle Surgery
Emanuel Kaplan: Excellence in Surgery of the Hand
Samuel Kleinberg: Embodiment of The American Dream
Henry Milch: Orthopedic Engineer
Joseph Milgram: Leadership Defined
Howard Rosen: Visionary in Fracture Fixation
Victor H. Frankel: Revitalized the Legacy of HJD
Melvin Jahss: Trailblazer and Gifted Surgeon of the Foot and Ankle
Herman Robbins: Master Anatomist, Visionary Chairman
Alfred Grant: A Life Dedicated to the Care of Children
Wallace Lehman: Leader in Children's Orthopedics
William Jaffe: Innovator, Educator, Leader
J. Serge Parisien: Pioneer in Arthroscopic Techniques
Martin Posner: Fortitude and Endurance, Hand Chief for 50 Years
Thomas Errico: Innovation and Excellence in Spinal Surgery
N. Noel Testa: Expectations for Excellence
Ralph Lusskin: A Consummate Professional and Valued Educator
Joseph D. Zuckerman: Surgeon, Scholar, Statesman

Milestones and Accomplishments

NYU Langone Orthopedic Firsts
The History of Hand Surgery at NYU Langone Orthopedics
The History of Foot and Ankle Surgery at NYU Langone Orthopedics
The History of Fracture Care at NYU Langone Orthopedics
The History of Diversity at NYU Langone Orthopedics
The History of Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine at NYU Langone Orthopedics
The History of Spine Care and Spine Surgery at NYU Langone Orthopedics
The Jewish Heritage of NYU Langone Orthopedics
Leadership the NYU Way
The Merger of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Hospital of Joint Diseases with NYU Medical Center