Adolf Lorenz

Adolf Lorenz (1854 - February 12, 1946) was an Austrian orthopedic surgeon who was a native of Weidenau (today Vidnava, Bohemia). He studied medicine at the University of Vienna and subsequently worked as an assistant to surgeon Eduard Albert (1841-1900) in Vienna. In 1901 he was one of the founders of the German Society of Orthopaedic Surgery. He was the father of famed behavioralist Konrad Lorenz (1903-1989).

Adolf Lorenz is remembered for his work with bone deformities. As a young surgeon during the 1880s he developed a severe allergic skin reaction to carbolic acid, which was used extensively in operating rooms. This condition prevented Lorenz from performing traditional surgical operations. However, he continued in the medical profession as a 'dry surgeon", by treating patients without cutting into skin or tissue. Later, Lorenz was given the nickname "The Bloodless Surgeon of Vienna".

Lorenz was renowned for his treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip in children. His technique involved putting the patient under light anesthesia, and placing the child in a plaster spica cast in abduction, and then using external rotation as they matured. He also added a specialized walking frame to give the patient a measure of mobility.

He created a manipulative treatment for club feet, which involved stretching or breaking the tendons, ligaments, and epiphyseal plates until the foot was properly aligned. Once alignment was achieved, Lorenz applied a cast so that the foot healed in the corrected position. Also, by using traction and pulleys, Lorenz developed a mechanism for treatment of scoliosis.

Due to his fame in orthopedics, he became acquainted with several dignitaries, including U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. During his travels in the United States, he gave an inspirational exhibition in Dallas, which was a catalyst in the creation of the Texas Baptist Memorial Sanitarium, which later became the Baylor University Medical Center and Baylor Health Care System.

References

* [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1200636 The Legacy of Professor Adolf Lorenz, the "bloodless surgeon of Vienna"]
* [http://www.medacad.org/adolf-lorenz Website of the Adolf and Albert Lorenz Association]