Paediatric orthopaedics through paintings

Some famous artistic representations created throughout the centuries can reveal a hidden or mysterious diagnosis of some diseases and these paintings have always drawn the attention of physicians interested in art. Artistic illustration of a child with a malformation or disability can reflect the characteristic appearance of a disease and its historic perspective. Some articles have revealed the definite diagnosis of a child with achondroplasia through portraits of dwarfs and some studies have discussed the secret diagnosis of a crippled child with Pes Equinovarus or poliomyelitis. In this study, we aim to introduce some paintings that reveal musculoskeletal diseases related to paediatric orthopaedics.

Paintings painted since the Renaissance were reviewed and collected via web searches. Artistic paintings depicting children with suspected paediatric orthopaedic diseases were analyzed in this study.

Paintings in which artists have depicted children with achondroplasia, poliomyelitis and clubfoot were found.

The investigation of a drawing depicting a disabled child may encourage an orthopaedic surgeon to introduce an analytical approach using visual cues. These paintings may also enhance the observational skills of paediatric orthopaedic surgeons, give information about the historical process of a disease and demonstrate the impact of the disease at the time the painting was painted.