Hospital for Special Surgery

The Hospital for Special Surgery is a hospital in New York City that specializes in orthopedic surgery and the treatment of rheumatologic conditions.

Founded in 1863 by Dr. James Knight, HSS is the oldest orthopedic hospital in the United States and is considered one of top hospitals in the nation for joint replacement.

Additional areas of expertise at HSS include spine surgery and sports medicine. HSS physicians with a subspecialty training in the field of spine surgery focus on patients who suffer from congenital or acute spinal disorders as well as from chronic back pain. The sports medicine services at HSS treat athletic injuries of the musculoskeletal system with a special focus on shoulder, elbow, and knee injuries.

In addition, orthopedic surgeons at HSS perform limb lengthening, a procedure that uses the body’s capacity to create new bone as well as the soft tissues, ligaments, blood vessels, and nerves that surround and support it.

HSS also offers professional medical education programs, including continuing medical education lecture series, conferences and symposia.

The hospital has 271 active medical staff.

Research
Current clinical trials focus on issues related to lupus and arthritis. In addition to clinical trials, HSS has several research programs that center on the prevention of musculoskeletal diseases. Basic and applied research conducted at the hospital addresses specific problems such as arthritis, injury, osteoporosis, scoliosis, autoimmune diseases such as lupus, and related musculoskeletal diseases as they affect children and adults.

Affiliations
The Hospital for Special Surgery is affiliated with the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System through the hospital's affiliation with Cornell University's Weill Cornell Medical College. The hospital is also affiliated with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Rockefeller University.

Its residency programs in orthopedics had more than 400 applicants competing for eight spots in 2004. Today, more than 400 graduates hold positions in major orthopedic departments.

Location and Facilities
Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, HSS is built over the Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) drive and partially located in the Belaire building at 535 East 70th Street. Currently HSS has 162 beds and 20 operating rooms. HSS recently completed the construction of a new, ninth floor that adds 85000 sqft of new space and 100000 sqft of re-engineered and re-designed space.

HSS has several specialized centers that focus on specific patients and joint problems, including:
 * Women’s Sports Medicine Center
 * The Gosden-Robinson Early Arthritis Center
 * The Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research - founded in 2001, supports intramural basic and clinical research at HSS and pilot research grants that focus on lupus.
 * The Barbara Volcker Center for Women and Rheumatic Diseases
 * The Sports Medicine Institute for Young Athletes - provides presentations and workshops to local schools, sports leagues, coaches, and medical conferences.

History
HSS was founded in 1863 as the Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled in the home of Dr. James Knight on Second Avenue.

Rankings
The 2007 edition of U.S. News and World Report ranked HSS as the top hospital in the country for orthopedics as well as the nation's third-best for rheumatology. According to New York Magazine’s “Best Hospitals” issue, HSS is the best hospital in New York City's tri-state area for knee surgery, spine surgery and hip replacement.