THE CLASSIC: On the Treatment of Ankylosis by the Formation of Artificial Joints

Abstract

John Rhea Barton (1794-1871) of Lancaster and Philadelphia, Pa. is important to the history of orthopedic surgery not merely for performing this operation but for introducing the concept of restoring motion to an ankylosed joint. His work was quoted in contemporary American and European Journals. It became the foundation for later development of arthroplasty. An essay on Barton's life and the technique of arthroplasty by Frederick Thompson was published in Clinical Orthopaedics, Vol. 6. E.M.B