Boston's contributions to the development of orthopaedics in the United States - A brief history

Since the early part of the nineteenth century, physicians from Boston have had a major impact on orthopaedics in America. Initially, the general surg eons such as John Ball Brown and his son, Buckminster had an impact on orth opaedics, but contributors such as Henry Bigelow and Charles Scudder added greatly to the knowledge and capacity for care. The first orthopaedic ward, Ward I, was located at the Massachusetts General Hospital and began the ne w era. Surgical treatment by orthopaedists began in the twentieth century w ith such contributors as Philip Wilson, EA Codman, Robert B. Osgood, Joel G oldthwait, Elliot Brackett, Robert Lovett, and Edward Bradford. These physi cians not only treated patients at the Children's, Tufts University, Boston City, the Beth Israel, and the Massachusetts General Hospitals, but assume d the academic responsibilities of a major educational center. More recentl y the contributors to orthopaedics have included Marius Smith-Petersen, Ott o Aufranc, Henry Banks, Edward Cave, Carter Rowe, Joseph Barr, and others w ho have created a spectacular program for education, research, and clinical care.