Pioneering orthopaedic trauma surgery in Turkey: Burhaneddin Toker (1890–1951), the stormy 1930s, and refugees running from Nazism

Abstract

Orthopedic surgery, the medical discipline that deals with diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system has been considered a distinct medical discipline in the west since the beginning of the twentieth century. However, in Turkey, the acceptance of musculoskeletal traumatology as an integral part of orthopedic surgery actualized as late as 1961. Previously, orthopedic trauma patients were usually treated in general surgery departments. Dr. Burhaneddin Toker, a true pioneer, changed this conduct of the time in Turkey. He transformed Cerrahpaşa Hospital, then a municipality hospital today the well-known Cerrahpaşa Medical School of Istanbul University, to a trauma center. He pioneered systematic surgery of the musculoskeletal injuries, created a separate service for musculoskeletal traumatology, trained many surgeons in this field, wrote textbooks, and reported his clinical experience in scientific publications. This study examines the biography of Burhaneddin Toker and how he was able to further medical training in Turkey with a focus on Turkey in the stormy 1930s, the way the young republican government under Atatürk’s leadership handled educational issues, and the refugee scientists who found a safe haven in Turkey fleeing Nazism.