Hugh Owen Thomas: bone-setter and pioneer orthopaedist

Hugh Owen Thomas (1834-1891) was descended from a long line of Welsh bone-setters. He stressed the importance of rest in treatment and was responsible for many landmark contributions to orthopaedic surgery. He was especially celebrated for his design and use of splints; the famous Thomas knee splint was still in wide use at the end of World War II. Although he performed little open surgery, his logical and original principles and methods revolutionized orthopaedic practice. His ideas were disseminated throughout the United States by John Ridlon and others and there is continued interest and respect here for all facets of his life and teachings. He and his nephew, Robert Jones, have been called "the Fathers of Orthopaedic Surgery."