The treatment of broken bones and dislocated joints can be traced as far back as the

Ancient Greeks Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cultu ...

Hippocrates Hippocrates of Kos (; grc-gre, Ἱπποκράτης ὁ Κῷος, Hippokrátēs ho Kôios; ), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician of the classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of ...

is credited with a method of reduction of a

dislocated shoulder A dislocated shoulder is a condition in which the head of the humerus is detached from the shoulder joint. Symptoms include shoulder pain and instability. Complications may include a Bankart lesion, Hill-Sachs lesion, rotator cuff tear, or i ...

. 16th century Spanish texts talk about the

Aztecs The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...

use of reduction of fractures using fir branches. The modern discipline of orthopaedics in trauma care developed during the course of World War I, but it was not until after World War II that orthopaedics became the dominant field treating fractures in much of the world. Today, the discipline encompasses conditions such as bone fractures and bone loss, as well as spinal pathology and joint disease.

Greek and Roman

Several volumes of the

Hippocratic Corpus The Hippocratic Corpus (Latin: ''Corpus Hippocraticum''), or Hippocratic Collection, is a collection of around 60 early Ancient Greek medical works strongly associated with the physician Hippocrates and his teachings. The Hippocratic Corpus cove ...

, ''Articulations or On Joints, On Fractures, On the Instruments of Reduction'' discuss

Ancient Greek medicine Ancient Greek medicine was a compilation of theories and practices that were constantly expanding through new ideologies and trials. Many components were considered in ancient Greek medicine, intertwining the spiritual with the physical. Specifi ...

relating to orthopaedics, and

is credited with a method of reduction of a

Renaissance Period

16th century Spanish texts talk about the

use of reduction of fractures, as well

intramedullary The medullary cavity (''medulla'', innermost part) is the central cavity of bone shafts where red bone marrow and/or yellow bone marrow (adipose tissue) is stored; hence, the medullary cavity is also known as the marrow cavity. Located in the ma ...

fixation using fir branches. Peter Lowe was the first surgeon to use the term

amputation Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indi ...

in his 1597 book ''A discourse of the Whole Art of Chirurgerie''.

Nicolas Andry Nicolas Andry de Bois-Regard (1658 – 13 May 1742) was a French physician and writer. He played a significant role in the early history of both parasitology and orthopedics, the name for which is taken from Andry's book ''Orthopédie''. Early li ...

has been credited with the term 'orthopaedics', taken from the title of his 1741 book ''Orthopédie'' on childhood deformity correction. The frontispiece of the book bore an engraving of a sapling being splinted with a stake, a symbol now referred to as the Tree of Andry and adopted by many orthopaedic associations internationally. In 1768,

Percivall Pott Percivall Pott (6 January 1714, in London – 22 December 1788) was an English surgeon, one of the founders of orthopaedics, and the first scientist to demonstrate that a cancer may be caused by an environmental carcinogen. Career He was the ...

published his book ''Some Few Remarks upon Fractures and Dislocations'' following his compound femoral fracture on the use of splinting to avoid

. Pott's student, John Hunter, expanded on the knowledge of bone healing. Around the same time,

Jean-André Venel Jean-André Venel (28 May 1740 – 9 March 1791) was a Swiss doctor and a pioneer in the field of orthopedics. Venel was born in Morges, the son of a surgeon, Jean-François Venel. He studied medicine in Montpellier, Paris and Strasbourg, an ...

published his work ''Orthopaedia, or the Art of Preventing and Correcting Deformities in Children'', one of the first surgeons to discuss the practical application for treating

congenital deformities A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can r ...

Modern Period

Even after the

Medical Act 1858 The Medical Act (21 & 22 Vict c 90), ''An Act to Regulate the Qualifications of Practitioners in Medicine and Surgery'', also referred to as the Medical Act 1858, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the General Medical ...

bonesetter Traditional bone-setting is a type of a folk medicine in which practitioners engaged in joint manipulation. Before the advent of chiropractors, osteopaths and physical therapists, bone-setters were the main providers of this type of treatment. T ...

s continued to practice unlicensed within England, with one of the last being Evan Thomas. His son,

Hugh Owen Thomas Hugh Owen Thomas (23 August 1834 – 6 January 1891) was a Welsh orthopaedic surgeon. He and his nephew Robert Jones have been called "the Fathers of orthopaedic surgery". Thomas was descended from a line of Welsh bone setters and placed great i ...

, is considered by many to be the father of modern orthopaedics in the UK, with many published works such as ''Diseases of the hip, knee and ankle joints (1876), Principles of the treatment of diseased joints (1883), The principles of the treatment of fractures and dislocations (1886), Fractures, dislocations, diseases and deformities of the bones of the trunk and upper extremities (1887) and Fractures, dislocations, deformities and diseases of the lower extremities (1890). The use of his

traction splint A traction splint most commonly refers to a splinting device that uses straps attaching over the pelvis or hip as an anchor, a metal rod(s) to mimic normal bone stability and limb length, and a mechanical device to apply traction (used in an at ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

lead to a dramatic reduction in the mortality following

femoral fracture A femoral fracture is a bone fracture that involves the femur. They are typically sustained in high-impact trauma, such as Traffic collision, car crashes, due to the large amount of force needed to break the bone. Fractures of the diaphysis, or m ...

s. Thomas' nephew, Robert Jones continued his work, and was the first person to publish on the use of

radiography Radiography is an imaging technique using X-rays, gamma rays, or similar ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation to view the internal form of an object. Applications of radiography include medical radiography ("diagnostic" and "therapeut ...

in orthopaedics. The developing field of orthopaedics was originally focused on deformities in children, and subsequently adults. The involvement of orthopaedics in trauma care developed in the course of World War I, the interwar period, and World War II. It was not until after World War II that orthopaedics became the dominant field treating fractures in much of the world. Later in the 20th century,

John Charnley Sir John Charnley, (29 August 1911 – 5 August 1982) was an English orthopaedic surgeon. He pioneered the hip replacement operation, which is now one of the most common operations both in the UK and elsewhere in the world, and created the ...

pioneered

hip replacement Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant, that is, a hip prosthesis. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi (half) replacement. Such joint replacement o ...

, as well as published on the conservative treatment of fractures.

Greek and Roman

Renaissance Period

Modern Period

References

See also