Adams-type orthopaedic saw, Liverpool, England, 1855-1928
William Adams (1820-1900), an English surgeon, invented this type of saw for his new procedure, called periosteotomy. This involved un-fusing the bones of the hip joint by cutting the neck of the femur (upper leg bone). He affectionately called the saw “my little thaw”, because the knife was used to cut through and ‘melt’ fused bones. Adams specialised in orthopaedics at the Great Northern Hospital from 1855 to 1891 and established a reputation as a successful orthopaedic surgeon.
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The branch of medicine concerned with the preservation and restoration of the muscular and skeletal systems in the body.
Glossary: orthopaedic saw
A saw used for orthopaedic surgery. Orthopaedic surgery is the branch of surgery concerned with injuries to, or conditions involving, the musculoskeletal system.