Work underway on new MU Orthopedic expansion

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday morning for the expansion of the Missouri Orthopedic Institute.

The expansion will increase clinical space for services by nearly 100,000 square feet.

Doctors said they hope the expansion attracts more influential people to their institute.

“It let us continue some momentum that we’ve gotten built up where we’ve seen a nice increase in the number of patients we can care for, but also some really neat research breakthroughs that I think are really going to lead to some really neat, innovative things,” said James Stannard with Missouri Orthopedic Institute.

The Missouri Orthopedic Institute has nearly 400 people on staff, including more than 30 physicians.

The expansion is expected to be completed by 2017.