Who’s Who in Eponymous Fractures

Abstract

With over 8,000 and counting, varying in origin from people to cities to animals, eponyms are everywhere in medicine. The fields of radiology and orthopedics both have an especially rich history regarding the usage of eponyms. A variety of eponymous fractures from head to toe were identified to show their ubiquity throughout the body. It is our hope that readers gain an appreciation not just for the medical facets of these fractures but for the characters who make their names worth remembering as well. Orthopedic and radiological perspectives on 11 eponymous fractures (Barton, Bennett/Rolando, Galeazzi, Monteggia, Duverney, Segond, Bosworth, Tillaux, Chopart, and Lisfranc) were reviewed. The historical impact and biographical information of those fractures are named for was discussed. Although eponyms are losing popularity, they remain ubiquitous in radiology and orthopedics. There exists, however, a disparity in gender of eponyms in orthopedics especially. It is likely that as more women enter orthopedics, this disparity will disappear.