A Look Back in Time: Sir Robert Jones, ‘Father of Modern Orthopaedics’

Abstract

This paper describes the life of Sir Robert Jones, from his humble beginnings as an apprentice of Thomas Smith, to his many contributions to the orthopaedic specialty. Robert Jones’ passion and interest in the subject led to its advancement from a specialty that dealt mainly with crippling diseases in children, to that of treating and rehabilitating disabled adults. He revolutionized the practice by integrating the use of plain radiography, and by developing many new surgical and procedural techniques. He largely improved the specialty by publishing many textbooks and papers, and trained many orthopaedic surgeons from within England and internationally. The purpose of this paper seeks to provide a platform for readers to learn about the man behind the Jones fracture and bandage. It will help readers understand how one man’s passion for orthopaedics helped transform it into a specialty in its own rights.