SICOT e-Newsletter

Issue No. 54 - March 2013

History of Orthopaedics

History of Orthopaedics in Hong Kong

Peter Yau
Young Surgeons Committee Member â Hong Kong

Before the Second World War, the orthopaedic care in Hong Kong could only be described as primitive. General surgeons were responsible for treating all the orthopaedic cases, with predominant emphasis on trauma. Advances in orthopaedic technology were virtually non-existent.

The first academic orthopaedic discipline was introduced in Hong Kong in 1951. The Orthopaedic and Trauma Unit was established within the Department of Surgery at the University of Hong Kong. Dr Arthur Ralph Hodgson was recruited from United Kingdom as the head of the unit.

Under the leadership of Dr A.R. Hodgson, the newly established Orthopaedic and Trauma Unit started to train local orthopaedic surgeons and provided service to the citizens in Hong Kong. In view of the prevalence of spinal tuberculosis cases at that time, a unique surgical expertise on management of TB spine by performing radical debridement and anterior spinal fusion, which was later known as the âHong Kong Operationâ, was developed.

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery was formerly established at the University of Hong Kong in 1961. Prof A.R. Hodgson was appointed as the first orthopaedic professor in Hong Kong and the first chairman of the department. From then onwards, orthopaedic surgery started to flourish in the territory.

With the increasing number of orthopaedic surgeons in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Orthopaedic Association (HKOA) was formed in 1965. Prof A.R. Hodgson was elected as the first president. The function of HKOA at that time was to arrange both academic and social functions for the orthopaedic fraternity in Hong Kong. In 1983, the Board of Orthopaedic Surgery was set up under the auspices of the Hong Kong Orthopaedic Association. The first local FRACS examination was conducted in 1985.

In 1987, the Hong Kong College of Orthopaedic Surgeons (HKCOS) was set up for better organisation of the training of the orthopaedic specialist in Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest specialty colleges to be formed in Hong Kong and later became one of the twelve colleges forming the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (HKAM). In 1993, the HKAM inauguration was officiated by Governor Chris Patten. At that time, 116 orthopaedic surgeons were admitted as the foundation fellows.

The formal training system of orthopaedic specialists in Hong Kong is established by HKCOS. The trainees are required to pass an Exit examination at the end of the training before they are recognised as qualified orthopaedic specialists. The first local orthopaedic specialist examination was organised by HKCOS in 1994. Prof Sean Hughes and Mr Souter from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) were invited as the external examiners at that time.

Recognising the high standard of training of orthopaedic surgeons in Hong Kong, the first conjoint examination of HKCOS with RCSEd was held in Hong Kong in 1997. From then onwards, successful candidates of the local HKCOS orthopaedic examination were awarded the diplomas of both the HKCOS and Edinburgh College.

With the development in the past 70 years, the orthopaedic society in Hong Kong has evolved to a centre of excellence capable of providing high standard service in various subspecialties at the international level. There are now more than 350 orthopaedic surgeons registered as specialists in orthopaedic surgery in the Hong Kong Medical Council. Some of them work in the public hospital and some work in the private sector. More than 100 young doctors dedicate themselves to the field of orthopaedics and are registered in the Hong Kong College of Orthopaedic Surgeons as trainees in this specialty. Together they serve not only the seven million people in Hong Kong, but also those from nearby areas, including Macau and Mainland China.