The early history of orthopaedic surgery in Philadelphia. 1976.

Abstract

Alfred Rives Shands, Jr, MD (1899-1981) Alfred Rives Shands, Jr. (Fig 1) was born in Washington DC. His father was the first orthopaedist to practice in the district. When he was 14 years of age, his father, Alfred R. Shands, Sr., was president of the American Orthopaedic Association. The young man graduated from the University of Virginia in 1918 and enrolled in Johns Hopkins Medical School. He remained at Johns Hopkins Hospital for surgical and orthopaedic training until 1927. He returned to Washington, DC to join his father in practice until 1930 when he was invited to Duke University Medical School to initiate the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the orthopaedic residency program. In 1937, Shands left Duke University to become Medical Director of the Alfred I. duPont Institute in Wilmington, DE.Fig 1: Alfred R. Shands, Jr, MD (Reprinted with permission from J Bone Joint Surg 64A:314-315, 1982).His first task at the institute was to plan and supervise the construction of a children's orthopaedic hospital on the grounds of Nemours, the estate of Alfred I. duPont. The hospital was completed in 1940 and Shands became Surgeon in Chief, a position he held until 1962. He remained Medical Director of the institute until 1969. During World War II, Shands served as the senior consultant for orthopaedics for the United States Air Force. Shands made many contributions to the care of children who are crippled, which are reflected in his numerous publications. His Handbook of Orthopaedic Surgery became an important educational resource, nine editions were published. Perhaps his greatest contribution to orthopaedics was his essential role in the formation of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation, and his support of the Orthopaedic Research Society. He was honored by elected positions in various orthopaedic and other groups. He was a recipient of numerous honorary memberships and honorary degrees. His distinguished presence was noted at the annual meetings of orthopaedic societies, where he was especially friendly and encouraging to the young investigators. As a historian, Shands will be remembered for his article about the development of orthopaedics as a specialty in the United States. Many historic articles were published in The Early Orthopaedic Surgeons of America.1 The following article is an example of his historic scholarship. Leonard F. Peltier, MD, PhD