BJJ News
Editorial
Why are we here? hat is the purpose of BJJ News? While the Bone and Joint Journal itself is, and indeed should be, almost purely academic in nature and publishes only the best of scientific papers submitted to it from around the world, BJJ News is there, perhaps, to address the more speculative aspects of the discipline and to represent ideas that cannot be expressed in purely scientific terms. It also reflects the interests and preoccupations of the orthopaedic community as a whole, reports on scientific meetings that some may have missed and addresses issues that affect the practice of orthopaedic surgery in developing countries. From time to time there are review articles on various aspects of orthopaedics, but these tend to address the uncertainties rather than the “known knowns”. Although not clearly expressed to date, we very much welcome articles on any subject of interest from orthopaedic surgeons whether in training, in practice or retired. The editors have wide-ranging interests! In this issue, Jeya Palan, the immediate past president of BOTA, lays out his ideas for the ideal orthopaedic training. It clearly differs somewhat from that which is currently in place and expresses a degree of practical nostalgia for the demise of the concept of the orthopaedic “firm”, something that will resonate with orthopaedic surgeons at all levels. This is followed by two articles from eminent and somewhat more senior colleagues who propose, in their contrasting styles, that things are not always as easy as they look at first sight. Tony Ward summarises debate at the recent Bristol course on the emergency management of pelvic fractures and clearly outlines the steps to be taken in
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cases of overwhelming haemorrhage. Nick Birch gives an overview of the BASS meeting in Bath and two Americans, Joshua Carothers and James Browne, describe travelling the length and breadth of the United Kingdom as guests of the British Hip Society. Simon Graham describes the remarkable work being done in Malawi to establish and record the outcomes of their joint replacement service. David Jones, my co-Editor, continues to travel widely and take in the wonders of the natural world. Bill Ledingham makes Scottish deerhounds sound so delightful and easy to care for that the Journal should probably consider acquiring a couple for the Offices. Not everything can be so light-hearted. It is also our sad duty to record the seemingly inevitable passing of friends and colleagues. This is particularly prominent in this issue in which we record the deaths of three outstanding orthopaedic surgeons from three different generations. Robert Robins, who has died at the age of 91, was a pioneering hand surgeon in the South West of England, a Hunterian Professor and past president of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand; Steve Copeland, who sadly succumbed to a recurrence of lymphoma at the age of 68, was one of the world’s foremost shoulder surgeons of his generation and will be particularly remembered for his work on surface replacement of the shoulder joint; Andrew Sprowson, who died tragically young just short of his 41st birthday, had already been recognised as a rising star in academic orthopaedics and, as his obituarists note, is thought of as possibly one of the finest presidents the British Orthopaedic Association will never have. We mourn them all while celebrating their remarkable achievements.
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