When humans became bipedal, shoulders began to suffer from various conditions because of their unique structure and function. More recently, lifestyle changes and sports participation have made the situation even more complicated. Both the young and old suffer from more shoulder problems than ever before.
Achievements by pioneers like Codman and his contemporaries in the first half of the twentieth century established shoulder surgery as a respectable subspecialty. Golding, in his 1961 lecture “The shoulder — the forgotten joint,”1 emphasized the importance of radiological examination despite the frequent absence of positive radiological findings in stiff and painful shoulders.
In the middle of the twentieth century, a wave of second-generation specialists was led by Neer and made progress on all fronts, especially in the field of arthroplasty. Giant steps forward took place in the 1980s when:
New imaging modalities and arthroscopy joined our armamentarium for diagnosis and treatment.
Multidisciplinary investigations became more commonplace in the basic scientific studies of “shoulderology.”
National, regional, and international organizations of shoulder surgery were formed, facilitating the exchange of expertise; e.g., The Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery was launched in 1992.
The purpose of this article is to look back at the development of modern shoulder surgery and to look ahead to its future. In this review, we shall mention notable historic events and the auspicious articles of our specialty — milestones, so to speak. We would also like to discuss ways to develop shoulder surgery in the non-English-speaking world.
Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.
When humans became bipedal, shoulders began to suffer from various conditions because of their unique structure and function. More recently, lifestyle changes and sports participation have made the situation even more complicated. Both the young and old suffer from more shoulder problems than ever before.
Achievements by pioneers like Codman and his contemporaries in the first half of the twentieth century established shoulder surgery as a respectable subspecialty. Golding, in his 1961 lecture “The shoulder — the forgotten joint,”1 emphasized the importance of radiological examination despite the frequent absence of positive radiological findings in stiff and painful shoulders.
In the middle of the twentieth century, a wave of second-generation specialists was led by Neer and made progress on all fronts, especially in the field of arthroplasty. Giant steps forward took place in the 1980s when:
New imaging modalities and arthroscopy joined our armamentarium for diagnosis and treatment.
Multidisciplinary investigations became more commonplace in the basic scientific studies of “shoulderology.”
National, regional, and international organizations of shoulder surgery were formed, facilitating the exchange of expertise; e.g., The Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery was launched in 1992.
The purpose of this article is to look back at the development of modern shoulder surgery and to look ahead to its future. In this review, we shall mention notable historic events and the auspicious articles of our specialty — milestones, so to speak. We would also like to discuss ways to develop shoulder surgery in the non-English-speaking world.
Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.