New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-16
CRAFTS BONE TO SPINE
Or. F. H. AIbee Performs New
Operation on Boy Patient.
WOULD CURE TUBERCULOSIS
CHIPS Fragment from Lads Lev
and Uses 1t to Strengthen
Parts of the Vertebre.

! An operation which in all proba tsu,v
viii obviatc The sad necessity Of str,n-.,.
any more Smiling Joes' 10 the board a.
shown IN the thousands Of pictures spress
broadcast over tho country during the is,,
I few years IN tho interest Of the Sea Breezo
Home for Tubercusr Children. a, co,sv
Island. was performed at Roosevelt tr,,;
pital yesterday afternoon by DR.. Fred "
Albee. professor OF orthopedy at the en-.
nell University Medical School. II va.
tho doctors sixteenth operation since Ia
first invented the process and put II into
practice last March. I'm general wav
the operation consists OF chipping = p,ecs
Of bone from the patients leg and grat
Ing II TO some weakened part Of tho spine
The patient on tho table was a little bov
suffering from tuberculosis OF the spin.
or Potts disease. which. II IL does not
result fatally, is the most prolific cause
OF hunchback. An incision OF tho surgeon,
knife barred several of the dorsal vcrtebr.e
already affected by the tubercular process,
and his hammer and chisel made fhe-,
ready TO receive the thin strip OF bone that
was TO give them their needed strength
Another incison laid bare the tibla around
that point commonly known a. the shin
and the chiscI was again called into Ser.
vice to chip of the strengthening piece
This was slipped IN among the tissue,
parted by the first incison. and the edge,
Of the wounds We're drawn together
n all seemed very slmple--too simple N
cure "A disease that kept Smiling Joe"
strapped TO his board for the best part o,
I six years But Or. Albce's explanation n,
II was simpler sim. as given by one o,
The surgeons who attended the operation
He goes on the theory" said the
surgeon, that bonv nxation is the nan.
acea for all tubercular bone and Joint de.
eases. tuberculosis Of the spine Is a gua,.
ton OF crushing The tubercular proces,
breaks down the bcnes AS they move. until
the spine becomes too weak 10 hold ND the
body II the diseased parts can be kept
absolutely rigid they viii cure themseiyee
This is the principle on which tho board
cure IS worked. But that does not orfer, ne
aim. You see. for tho patient must breathe
and hence can't be strapped tight enough
TO keep the yertebrae from moving Neither
is 1t any use 10 put in silver plates or nails
for after a time tho bone about them
rarcfies as We call it. and thoy drop ont
But this little piece OF bone which ne puts
In there soon connects with tho diseased
vertcbrr and holds thsm perfectly sin
Then VOLTS law OF anatomy comes into
action. which Is that healthy skclctsl bone
strenthens up a. pressure is applied 70 IL
In the same way the split shinbona grows
back to its former strength -.--s
The operation. the doctor pointed out
was particularly adapted 10 the spine he
cause If only two or three vertebr;c out NJ
the twentyfour were stiffened IL did nor
materially dotrsct from tho pliability m
the whole spinal column II could be ON
ploycd though. on other parts Of the BODY
and I'm fact tho idea OF # had occurred tn
Or. Albee IN Connection with his treatment
of hip trouble, on which no was asked TO
report to the surgical convention IN Buda-
pest three years ago.
or DR.. Albco's sixteen cases, eleven are
already out OF the hospital, apparently as
strong as ever. though. of course, n Is too
early to tell positively. one patient a car
pentcr. on whom he operated last July
went back to work with eighteen pounds
ADDED TO his weight. The process promised
a revolutionary change i'm the treatment Of
tubercular bones. said the surgeon. and
meant the reduction Of the period II con
valescence from four or more years TO
about as many months.
IL was learned also that Smiling Joe"
himself had visited Or. Albee. suffering
from Securrence of his old trouble. It Is
doubtful. howeve~, whether his parents will
permit an operation upon him unless his
condition becomes such that one e. i'm
perative. He will certainly not 20 back
to the board, il Is said, now that Or. AZ
bees process is known at Sea Breeze