Origins & Early Life

Hugh Owen Thomas (23 August 1834 – 6 January 1891) was a Welsh orthopaedic surgeon. He and his nephew Robert Jones have been called "the Fathers of orthopaedic surgery". Thomas was descended from a line of Welsh bone setters and placed great importance on rest in treatment of fractures. He is responsible for a number of contributions to orthopaedic treatment and surgery, producing a number of books and methods that revolutionised orthopaedic practice.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He is particularly known for the Thomas splint, which was widely used during World War I, reducing mortality from 80% to just 8% by the end of the war. His principles of practice were also spread to the USA by John Ridlon, amongst others. Hugh Owen Thomas was the great-grandson of a young boy who had been shipwrecked on Anglesey (Ynys Môn) between 1743 and 1745 with his brother. One of the young brothers died a few days later but the survivor was given the name Evan Thomas by the family that adopted and raised him, he established a family tradition of bone-setting. Later DNA investigations found Evan Thomas to have come from the Caucasus mountains, on the Georgia-Russia border.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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