Origin Nicolas Andry coined the term orthopaedics in 1741; the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons was founded in Chicago in 1933, growing out of the more restricted American Orthopaedic Association of 1887.
The specialty concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system: bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles. The term was coined in 1741 by French physician Nicolas Andry, originally naming a discipline focused on correcting skeletal deformities in children, well before orthopedics became a surgical specialty treating adults and trauma. The field organized professionally in the United States starting with the American Orthopaedic Association in 1887 and expanded into a broader national academy in 1933.
Facts
Origin PeriodNicolas Andry coined the term orthopaedics in 1741; the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons was founded in Chicago in 1933, growing out of the more restricted American Orthopaedic Association of 1887. 2 Classification
Type/Classification Connections
Associated With
X-rays, Discoveries Rontgen's 1895 discovery of X-rays rapidly became indispensable to orthopedic diagnosis of fractures and skeletal deformities.
Source German scientist discovers X-rays
Notable Specialists
Source John Charnley (Wikipedia)
Treats
Orthopedic surgeons manage fractures
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Medical specialty
WikipediaClassification tableQuote, Classification table
Surgical specialties focus on manually operative and instrumental techniques to treat disease.
2. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (NCBI Bookshelf)
National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of MedicineNCBI Bookshelf NBK218316, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons section, opening paragraphQuote, NCBI Bookshelf NBK218316, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons section, opening paragraph
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is a nonprofit corporation founded in Chicago in 1933.
Orthopedics (Encyclopedia.com)
Encyclopedia.comencyclopedia.com Orthopedics page, History section, first articleQuote, encyclopedia.com Orthopedics page, History section, first article
The term orthopedics was coined by French physician Nicholas Andre who published a book in 1741
German scientist discovers X-rays
John Charnley (Wikipedia)
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the word orthopedics come from?
Nicolas Andry coined it in 1741 for correcting deformities in children.
The term was coined in 1741 by the French physician Nicolas Andry. It originally named a discipline focused on correcting skeletal deformities in children, well before orthopedics became a surgical specialty treating adults and trauma.
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