Overgrowth of the inner tuberosity of the tibia as a cause of genu valgum : independent of elongated inner condyle of the femur / by John Ewens.

  • Ewens, John.
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Overgrowth of the inner tuberosity of the tibia as a cause of genu valgum : independent of elongated inner condyle of the femur / by John Ewens. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    IO estimated by the length of time required for firm union,” and as a rule this takes place in three or four weeks in children. It is scarcely necessary in the presence of so many distinguished members of this great association to allude to the vain and foolish argument, which I have so often heard, in favour of temporizing treatment by tonics, etc., in the hope, alas ! how generally futile, that the young sufferer may “ grow out of” the deformity, even when the age of five or six years has been attained. But in my hospital practice I so often meet with very aggravated cases, and am told that the doctor said they would get all right in time, therefore I refer to it in order to utter an emphatic protest against such a delusive expec- tancy. That very slight cases of curvature may occa- sionally get remedied by improved health, wholesome diet, general careful maternal supervision, and well-made boots, I do not question, but they are the exception rather than the rule. No skilful gardener would act upon such un- scientific principles applied to a valuable young tree, but would carefully apply corrective measures to remedy the vicious growth. As in reference to the vegetable kingdom, there is a true proverb, “Just as the twig is bent the tree’s inclined,” so with human structures : bad habits acquired in early childhood intensify as the child grows, and a slightly curved bone will soon degenerate into a crooked limb, and the whole body will sooner or later sympathize with the afflicted member. “ The child is the father of the man” (a good axiom on which the learned president of this section last year founded his able address) in a physical as well as in a moral sense, and just as we should observe the good old maxim, “Train up a child in the way he should go,” so we must endeavour by all available means : fresh air, good wholesome diet, and mechanical support when necessary, to correct any deviation from the normal condition of the bones and other tissues of the body, so that they may acquire vigour, strength, and comeliness, which will do credit to a loving mother, careful nurse and attentive doctor ; but these measures all failing, or being neglected, the operative skill of the surgeon must come to the rescue, and I know of no more satisfactory and pleasing results than those which follow well timed, well directed, and patient efforts to accomplish some of the most brilliant illustrations of successful orthopraxic surgery.