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BRIEF DISCUSSION ON

HUGH OWEN THOMAS

On 28 -0 7 -2009

Moderators: -Professor Seetharam Rao

  Dr K Ramachandra Kamath

Presenter: - Dr Praveen Babu K H

EARLY LIFE

Hugh Owen Thomas was born at Bodedern, Anglese !n "orth #ales, on August $%, &'%() He

has been called *the +ather of Br!t!sh rthoaed!cs*) Hugh descended from a fam!l that had

or!g!nall been settled !n Anglese, where a fam!l trad!t!on of bone-sett!ng had been

establ!shed) B a sh!wrec. !n &/(0, 1van 2homas 3 the grandson of the or!g!nal surv!vor, and

Hugh4s father 3 had moved to 5!verool at the age of &6, where he set u a successful ract!ce

as bone-setter) 1van, however, was not a tra!ned hs!c!an, and three t!mes he was ta.en to court

to defend h!s ract!ce) 2here was much 7ealous on the art of the orthodo8 ract!t!oners !n the

c!t and, although he never lost a case, he resolved that h!s sons should tra!n and 9ual!f as

doctors, wh!ch !s what all f!ve of them d!d)

PROFESSIONAL CAREER 

Hugh tra!ned f!rst w!th h!s uncle, Dr) wen Roberts at St) Asah !n "orth #ales for four ears,

then he stud!ed med!c!ne at 1d!nburgh and n!vers!t ;ollege, 5ondon) 2homas enrolled as a

student at the n!vers!t of 1d!nburgh at a t!me when Sme, S!mson, and <oods!r were at the

he!ght of the!r fame) 5!ster and 2urner, newl arr!ved from 5ondon, were beg!nn!ng the!r great

careers !n Scotland) He 9ual!f!ed as MR;S !n &'0/) Return!ng to 5!verool, he f!rst wor.ed w!th

h!s father, but !ncomat!ble temeraments d!d not allow th!s for long, so !n &'06 he set u h!s

own ract!ce !n the oorer art of town)

Hugh was .nown as an eccentr!c and rather temeramental man) He was short, 7ust over f!ve feet

tall, alwas wore a blac. coat buttoned all the wa u, a atch over one ee, and constantl had a

c!garette !n h!s mouth) Among the oor eole of 5!verool though, he stood !n great esteem) He

 ract!ced from h!s home !n "o) &&, "elson Street, where he wor.ed all da from f!ve or s!8 !n the

morn!ng, and ever Sunda he would treat at!ents for free)

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CONTRI!TION

H!s contr!but!on to rthoaed!cs was man!fold)

=n the treatment of fractures and tuberculos!s he advocated rest, wh!ch should be

"en#o$%e&' un(n)e$$u*)e& an& *$o+onge&") =n order to ach!eve th!s he created the so-called >2homas Sl!nt>) 2he sl!nt was reared !n h!s home onl b a blac.sm!th, has

two r!ngs on wh!ch the at!ent could wal.) =t was oular!?ed b h!s nehew S!r Robert

@ones dur!ng world war = when !ts use for oen fracture femur shaft reduced the

mortal!t from 

' !n &6&C to ' !n &6&'

He !s also resons!ble for numerous other med!cal !nnovat!ons that all carr h!s name:

>2homas>s collar> made of sheet metal covered w!th felt shee s.!n to treat tuberculos!s

of the cerv!cal s!ne)

>2homas>s manoeuvre>, an orthoaed!c !nvest!gat!on for fracture of the h! 7o!nt

2homas>s test>, a method of detect!ng f!8ed fle8!on deform!t of h!) 2he at!ent l!ng flat!n bed, Have the at!ent hold one leg to h!s chest and let h!s other leg down unt!l !t !s flaton the table) =f the th!gh r!ses off the table, the test !s os!t!ve for a h! fle8!on

contracture)

2h!s test does not d!fferent!ate between t!ghtness of the !l!osoas versus the rectus

femor!s)

>2homas>s wrench>, to osteoclysis malun!ted d!stal rad!us fractures and reset bones)

2homas heel4 suort to med!al long!tud!nal arch of foot

E2homas S!nal Brace4 for ambulant treatment of s!nal tuberculos!s

ne man reduct!on techn!9ue of reduct!on of h!

E2homas S!gn4 of tuberculos!s of the h!) ;ons!sts of the format!on of a comensator

curve of the s!ne be!ng formed on e8tens!on of the d!seased leg)

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Reduct!on of old elbow d!slocat!on

 H!s wor. was never full arec!ated !n h!s own l!fet!me, but when h!s nehew, S!r Robert

@ones, al!ed h!s sl!nt dur!ng the +!rst #orld #ar , th!s reduced mortal!t of comoundfractures of the femur  from ' to less than ' !n the er!od from &6&C to &6&')

,ORS

• D!seases of the h!, .nee and an.le 7o!nts F&'/CG

• A rev!ew of the ast and resent treatment of d!sease !n the h!, .nee, and an.le 7o!nts: #!th

the!r deform!t!es F&'/'G

• 2he ast and resent treatment of !ntest!nal obstruct!ons F&'/6G

• 2he treatment of fractures of the lower 7aw F&''&G

• =ntest!nal d!sease and obstruct!on F&''%G

•  "erve !nh!b!t!on and !ts relat!on to the ract!ce of med!c!ne F&''%G

• Pr!nc!les of the treatment of d!seased 7o!nts F&''%G

• 2he colleg!an of &CCC and the colleg!ans of &''0: r, what !s recogn!?ed treatment F&''0G

• 2he r!nc!les of the treatment of fractures and d!slocat!ons F&''CG

• +ractures, d!slocat!ons, d!seases and deform!t!es of the bones of the trun. and uer

e8trem!t!es F&''/G

• A new l!thotom oerat!on F&'''G

• +ractures, d!slocat!ons, deform!t!es and d!seases of the lower e8trem!t!es F&'6G

• 5!thotom F&'6G

=t has been sa!d that the med!cal rofess!on m!ght not have ract!ced the blac. art of bonesett!ng, !f Hugh wen 2homas had not graduated from a Med!cal school) 2he teach!ng of wen2homas was slow !n sread!ng but there were some surgeons who !mmed!atel grased the

s!gn!f!cance of what he taught and adoted h!s sl!nts) Among them were Rushton Par.er !n

5!verool, 1dmund wen and 2homas Brant !n 5ondon, Professor 2h!ersch !n <erman and@ohn R!dlon !n Amer!ca) lt!matel the h! sl!nt began to aear !n the teach!ng hos!tals) 2he

good effect of rolonged !mmob!l!?at!on was so conv!nc!ble that rad!cal oerat!ons d!m!n!shed

and conservat!ve control of s.eletal tuberculos!s came !nto favor)

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REFERENCES

&) Anthoolog of orthoaed!cs IMercer Rang &6C'$) 2he !nfluence of Hugh wen 2homas on the 1volut!on of the treatment of s.eletal

tuberculos!s " @ones @b7s &60%%) 2ract!on and rthoaed!c al!ances I @hon D M Stewart

() 2he rthoaed!c centers of great Br!ta!n and the!r Amer!can med!cal off!cers Robert B

sgood @B@S Am&6&' $-&C &%$-&(5. 2he orthoaed!c asect of ;hron!c Arthr!t!s: the Huge wen 2homas 5ecture del!vered

 before the Med!cal =nst!tut!on of 5!verool - Robert B sgood @B@S Am&6$C:' &-(&