Hospital for Special Surgery Receives $1 Million Gift for The Mary and Fred Trump Institute for Implant Analysis

NEW YORK, Nov. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, Donald Trump, Robert Trump and Elizabeth Trump Grau have provided Hospital for Special Surgery with a $1 million gift in support of and to name the Institute for Implant Analysis in honor of their parents, the late Mary and Fred Trump. The Mary and Fred Trump Institute for Implant Analysis aims to innovate upon the science of joint reconstruction to improve the quality of life for millions of joint replacement patients around the world.  

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Trump were grateful patients of Philip Wilson, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery and surgeon-in-chief from 1972 to 1989.  The Trumps made a commitment of $1 million to the Hospital in honor of their parents and in recognition of Dr. Wilson's 91st birthday.

"Receiving this donation on behalf of the Hospital is the most important and meaningful birthday gift I could have ever hoped for," said Dr. Wilson, who has been an orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery for 60 years. "It means that countless people suffering from painful and disabling joint disorders, and who are in need of new medical treatments, will be the ultimate benefactors of the Trump family's generosity."

Translating discoveries in the laboratory to improve patient care has been a hallmark of Hospital for Special Surgery's Department of Biomechanics for decades, starting with the design and fabrication of the first practical knee implant in the early 1970s. The Hospital's Institute for Implant Analysis, under the direction of Timothy Wright, Ph.D., F.M. Kirby Chair in Orthopaedic Biomechanics, and Douglas Padgett, M.D., chief of Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement, has been at the forefront of implant research and design, helping to better treat the pain and disabilities associated with aging and worn joints.

"Our surgeons perform an exceptionally large volume of joint replacement surgeries, nearly 8,400 each year," said Thomas Sculco, M.D., surgeon-in-chief. "The new Mary and Fred Trump Institute for Implant Analysis will allow us to accelerate patient-oriented research to enhance the mobility and quality of life for countless current and future joint replacement patients."

The Institute has the largest collection of retrieved joint replacements in the world, and has maintained a registry for nearly 34 years. The analysis of these retrieved implants has allowed Hospital for Special Surgery surgeons and engineers to establish the mechanical performance of new implant designs and to determine the influence of patient characteristics and surgical variations. As a result, the role that design played in establishing how well the joint replacement components performed and endured is helping in the development of the next generation of advances in implant design.

"Thanks to the generous support of donors like the Trump family, Hospital for Special Surgery is able to offer patients the highest level of orthopedic care and to continue as leaders in translating research into cutting edge treatments," said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO of Hospital for Special Surgery.

About Hospital for Special Surgery
Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a world leader in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. HSS is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics, No. 2 in rheumatology, No. 19 in neurology, and No. 16 in geriatrics by U.S.News & World Report (2011-12), and has received Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. From 2007 to 2011, HSS has been a recipient of the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award. A member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS provides orthopedic and rheumatologic patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center. All Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff are on the faculty of Weill Cornell Medical College. The hospital's research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for Special Surgery is located in New York City and online at www.hss.edu.

SOURCE Hospital for Special Surgery