THE CLASSIC: Responsibility and Research in Orthopaedic Surgery*

Abstract

Orthopaedic surgery of today has been left a great heritage by our forebears. It is our duty not only to preserve and to cherish but to enhance this proud inheritance. On south portico of Archives Building in Washington, there is a statue of a beautiful woman holding an infant against a background of stalks of ripened grain, under which appears inscription, heritage of past is that brings forth harvest of The great orthopaedic surgeons of nineteenth century and of early part of twentieth century were our forefathers who not only created this heritage but also planted this seed. The which was sown has borne fruit and has created the harvest of future, orthopaedic surgery of 1954. We of this generation should be doing as our forefathers did for us; we should be sowing seed to bring forth the harvest of for oncoming generations. This should be done, as Willard has expressed it, . . in such a way that we may pass on to our successors a still more perfect inheritance of which both we and they may be very proud. This is perhaps our first and greatest responsibility. How we meet this responsibility will be determined by our vision. We must always remember proverb, Where there is no vision, people perish. Upon our vision rests future of orthopaedic surgery. We can only hope that our Creator may grant to all of us and to our line strength, wisdom, and courage to carry steadfastly torch of our proud heritage, and at all times to maintain a clear, bright, and unobstructed vision for future.