Philip Duncan Wilson Jr. (1920–2016) was an orthopedic surgeon who brought total hip replacement surgery to the

Hospital for Special Surgery Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a hospital in New York City that specializes in orthopedic surgery and the treatment of rheumatologic conditions. Founded in 1863 by James Knight, HSS is the oldest orthopedic hospital in the United States ...

in 1967. He started at the Hospital for Special Surgery in 1948, and served as the Surgeon-in-Chief from 1972 to 1989. He served as the President of the

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is an orthopedic organization. Founded at Northwestern University in 1933, as of 2015 AAOS had grown to include about 39,000 members.AAOMembersPage accessed June 27, 2015 The group provides edu ...

in 1972.

Early life

Wilson was born in Boston, Massachusetts on February 14, 1920. He graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

in 1942 and

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) is the graduate medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Founded i ...

in 1944. He completed his residency at

Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the third oldest general hospital in the United Stat ...

, Hospital for Special Surgery and the University of California Medical Center. From 1946 to 1948, he served in the United States Army at Brooke General Hospital, attaining the rank of captain.

Career

Wilson was an attending orthopedic surgeon at the

New York Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center (previously known as New York Hospital or Old New York Hospital or City Hospital) is a research hospital in New York City. It is part of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the teaching hospital for Cornell University. ...

and the Hospital for Special Surgery. At the same time, he was a professor of surgery at

Cornell University Medical College The Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University is Cornell University's biomedical research unit and medical school located in Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York. Weill Cornell Medicine is affiliated with New ...

. He subsequently served as the Surgeon-in-Chief of the Hospital for Special Surgery from 1972 to 1989, the same position his father, Philip D. Wilson Sr., held from 1935 to 1955. He led the Hospital for Special Surgery in the field of

joint replacement Replacement arthroplasty (from Greek ''arthron'', joint, limb, articulate, + ''plassein'', to form, mould, forge, feign, make an image of), or joint replacement surgery, is a procedure of orthopedic surgery in which an arthritic or dysfunctional j ...

and orthopedic research, fostering the hospital's development as a center for patient care. He introduced total hip replacement to the hospital in 1967 and served as the hospital's surgeon-in-chief from 1972 to 1989. He created a new approach to care in orthopedics by creating subspecialties based on anatomic regions. During his 17-year tenure as surgeon-in-chief, he developed a research department that brought together engineers and orthopedic surgeons and ushered biomechanics into the computer age. During this time, he held the dual role of Director of Resident Training, promoting innovation in graduate medical education and served as a role model for aspiring orthopedic surgeons. During his career, Wilson treated patients such as the Reverend

Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

Quarterback

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college foot ...

, and both

Fred Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Ro ...

and Mary Trump, the parents of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

Death

Wilson died on June 29, 2016. He is buried at Doanes Point Cemetery in Sorrento, Hancock County, Maine.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Philip D. Jr. 1920 births 2016 deaths American orthopedic surgeons Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni Harvard College alumni Physicians from Boston United States Army Medical Corps officers