Orthopaedic Surgeons' Contributions in WWII Commemorated

To commemorate the contributions of orthopaedic surgeons during the Second World War, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) proudly presents Legacy of Heroes, a multimedia project that tells the courageous, inspiring, and sometimes heartbreaking stories of orthopaedic surgeons who served in Word War II.

This never-before documented history of orthopaedic surgeons and their wartime experiences not only shares personal, detailed accounts of individuals, but also chronicles the great strides made in the treatment of orthopaedic trauma as a result of developments from World War II. The project includes a traveling exhibition, book, video documentary, and web site.

More than 100 Academy members - also World War II veterans now in their 70s and 80s - were interviewed to record and preserve their individual stories, many of which are included in the book Legacy of Heroes, and all of which will be featured on the website, www.legacyofheroes.aaos.org. Some of these veterans were taken back to the beaches at Normandy and Pearl Harbor where they served, to reflect on both tragic memories, heroic moments, and the impact these experiences had on their lives for the documentary film made for television, Wounded in Action. A multimedia traveling Legacy of Heroes exhibit showcases individual veterans' experiences through artifacts, photographs and personal memoirs.

Vernon T. Tolo, MD, president of the AAOS, commends the veteran orthopaedic surgeons for their contribution to the specialty, "Your wartime experiences changed the course of orthopaedics. Orthopaedic surgery, quite literally in your hands, came of age in the Second World War."

It has been said that World War II created an obscene training ground for surgeons, but despite the gruesome and tragic nature of their training, these present-day orthopaedic surgeons have taken the positive from the situation. As veteran John T. Hayes, MD stated, "·from wartime experiences, we've learned to rebuild the broken bodies, and we've learned to take care of the terrible wounds that we now see on the highways; that we once saw in the war. The joy of orthopaedic surgery is that we rebuild people. It's a wonderful, optimistic branch of surgery."

Many of the veterans entered the war as medics or litter-bearers and then were pushed forward as necessary to treat the wounded. They then received formal training as orthopaedic surgeons after the war. The sheer numbers of the wounded created opportunities to attempt bold new surgical techniques. The intricacies of hand surgery, prosthetics and spine surgery were developed and refined as orthopaedic surgeons treated tens of thousands of casualties. Internal and external fixation, prosthetics, joint replacement, bone fusion, the use of antibiotics etc. were also further developed as a result of the war.

During the past year, the AAOS gathered materials, conducted phone interviews, videotaped oral histories, and collected artifacts and photographs in an effort to document this history. "Your exploits are the stuff of legend. What you call "just doing your duty" is to us today the "Legacy of Heroes," said William Tipton, MD, executive vice president of the Academy. More information about the Legacy of Heroes project can be found at http://www.legacyofheroes.aaos.org.

The 26,047 member American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (www.aaos.org) or (http://orthoinfo.aaos.org), is a not-for-profit organization that provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons, allied health professionals and the public. An advocate for improved patient care, the Academy is participating in the Bone and Joint Decade (http://www.usbjd.org), the global initiative in the years 2002-2011 to raise awareness of musculoskeletal health, stimulate research and improve people's quality of life. President Bush has declared the years 2002-2011 National Bone and Joint Decade in support of these objectives.