More than 100 “bionic” golfers and walkers participated in the OrthoCarolina Research Institute’s fifth annual Joint Celebration on May 18 at the Ballantyne Resort.
The yearly wellness walk and Bionic Open golf tournament celebrate the renewed quality of life active adults experience with a total joint replacement, and are open to “bionic” participants, or those who’ve had a total shoulder, hip or knee replacement.
“Over 70 million people in the United States live with debilitating joint disease,” said Anne Schwoebel, executive director of the OrthoCarolina Research Institute. “The Bionic Open aims to make people aware of how successful total joint replacement surgery has become, and to celebrate the returned quality of life it gives its patients.”
Prior to their surgeries, most participants couldn’t walk, sit, stand or even sleep without experiencing a great deal of pain, let alone consider playing a round of golf with friends.
Before the walk and golf tournament began, physicians from OrthoCarolina hosted a free public question-and-answer session on total joint replacements and arthritis.
Funds collected at the Bionic Open benefit local total joint replacement research. |
