Medical Info of 1940's

[MelissaAnne]

Crumbs! I don't know where to look for this kind of info and need your help!

I need some information on what a doctor would do in the instance of a shattered kneecap in 1945. It would have to be an army doctor. Would they replace it with a steel plate? Pin it together? I have NO idea where to look for that kind of medical history.

Anyone have an idea?

 

[carebear]

I tend to just type my topic into google and check out what pops up. Not necessarily for the info on a webpage, which is unlikely to be in enough detail, but to get a look at other links and bibliographies.

I googled "military medicine WWII knee replacement" and found this site that was right on topic.

http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/OrthoMed/contents.htm

section 228-229 and down a bit (if you can get past the medical-ese) appear to imply that with the patella destroyed the joint was allowed to fuse (in a controlled manner). Other poking around seems to say knee-replacement surgery was not done until several years after the war.

Your character might have a stiff-legged gait if he didn't have more surgery done after the war.



Anyway, that's how I look stuff up.

 

[MelissaAnne]

PERFECT. Thanks so much. I think my brain was overly fried this morning when I tried to think of the perfect search words. :eusa_doh:

Thanks again.

Melissa