On this occasion, we will talk about an important figure in orthopedics: Nicolas Andry de Boisregard. He was a Doctor of Medicine, an associate professor, and the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Paris. It was Andry who coined the term “Orthopedics,” which etymologically comes from two Greek words: Orthos meaning upright or straight, and Pedia meaning “education or formation.” With this concept, he referred to the ability to correct or prevent skeletal deformities in children. This is described in his book "Orthopédie, or the Art of Preventing and Correcting Deformities of the Body in Children," published in 1741.
In one of the engravings in the book, Andry uses the image of a young, twisted tree growing guided by strings tied to a post, attempting to correct the deformity. This image has become an icon of Pediatric Orthopedics, the central theme of this video. Nicolas Andry was the first to scientifically relate exercise and the locomotor system. In a thesis written in 1723, he mentioned that moderate exercise is the best method to maintain health. Interestingly, Andry also earned the nickname "Doctor Worm" for being recognized as the father of Parasitology.
To understand his story, we must go back to 1658 in Lyon, France, where he started studying theology, which he abandoned to pursue medicine at the Reims Faculty, focusing on surgical studies. Although ambitious and energetic, Andry had a turbulent life, constantly in conflict with his colleagues.
He graduated and became a professor at the French school, and in 1724, he became Dean of the faculty.
In 1700, he published his first book "The Generation of Worms in the Human Body. The Different Classes and Types of This Disease and Ways to Prevent and Cure It." This work earned him the title of "father of parasitology," although his explanation of worm pathology was often fanciful.
However, at the end of his life, he wrote the work that would give him his current notoriety: which, through its translation, is called "Orthopedics or the Art of Preventing and Correcting Bodily Deformities in Children." This book was first published in Paris in 1741 in two volumes. It was an immediate success and was soon published abroad, including in Brussels, then in London in English, and finally in Berlin.
The original term "orthopedics" had no relation to surgery. In fact, Andry was anti-surgeon and helped abolish the privileges of surgeons in 1724, placing them under the authority of the Faculty of Medicine. The word Orthopedics was conceived as a preventive activity or home remedy, intended to improve children's deformities in 1741.
It is important to realize that this treatise was not written for doctors or surgeons. It was a kind of tribute to the grace and beauty of children. Andry wrote: “One should not neglect the body and let it deform, as this would be against the Creator's intention; this is the basic principle of orthopedics” and later, “This book is directed exclusively to parents and all those who care for children, and they must try to prevent and correct any deformed part of the child’s body.”
If one looks only at the principle of prevention, then these words have real significance today. The work is divided into four books. The first reminds us of the artistic surface anatomy of the entire body, with an interesting and curious chapter on external proportions.
Books 2 and 3 deal with one of the most important parts of this specialty, specifically modern pediatric orthopedics. Book 2 describes useful methods for preventing and correcting postural deformities of the trunk and spine. Book 3 covers deformities of the limbs: Andry distinguishes between congenital or acquired inequalities and pseudo-shortening of limbs due to dislocation, for which he recommends "a quick intervention by the surgeon." Finally, in the fourth book, he covers deformities of the head and face in considerable detail.
Modern orthopedics does not deal with this type of deformity. However, many other specialists will enjoy this section, such as maxillofacial surgeons, dental orthopedists, and aesthetic surgeons.
The meaning of this word is interesting, as its meaning has narrowed and then expanded. Initially, it referred to children with a connotation of prevention. Then, a century later, in the 1840s, there was a rapid increase in surgical procedures, and it was now accepted that surgery of bones and joints had come to the forefront.
For this reason, Nicolas Andry played an important role in relating exercise with the locomotor system, coining the term orthopedics, and creating the emblem that we know today.
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