1Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey.
2Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Neurosurg Focus. 2022 Sep;53(3):E18. doi: 10.3171/2022.6.FOCUS22269.
Throughout human history, advancements in medicine have evolved out of periods of war. The carnage of battlefield injuries provided wartime surgeons an unprecedented opportunity to study anatomy, develop novel techniques, and improve systems of care. As a specialty that was established and evolved during the first half of the 20th century, neurological surgery was heavily influenced by the experiences of its founders during the World Wars I and II. Utilizing the published Neurosurgery Tree, the authors conducted an academic genealogical analysis to systematically define the influence of wartime service on neurosurgery's earliest generations. Through review of the literature and military records, the authors determined that at least 60% of American neurosurgical founders and early leaders served during World Wars I and/or II. Inspired by the call to serve their nation as forces for good, these individuals were heralded as expert clinicians, innovative systems thinkers, and prolific researchers. Importantly, the service of these early leaders helped highlight the viability of neurosurgery as a distinct specialty and provided a framework for early neurosurgical education and expansion. The equipment, techniques, and guidelines that were developed during these wars, such as management of craniocerebral trauma, peripheral nerve repair, and hemostasis, set the foundation for modern neurosurgical practice.
纵观人类历史，医学的进步源自战争时期。战场上的伤亡惨状为战时外科医生提供了前所未有的机会，让他们能够研究解剖学、开发新的技术并改进护理系统。神经外科学作为 20 世纪上半叶建立和发展起来的一门专业，深受其创始人在第一次和第二次世界大战期间经历的影响。作者利用已发表的《神经外科学树》，进行了学术谱系分析，以系统地定义战时服务对神经外科学最早几代人的影响。通过文献回顾和军事记录的查阅，作者确定至少 60%的美国神经外科学创始人及早期领导者曾在第一次和/或第二次世界大战期间服役。受为国效力的号召的鼓舞，这些人被誉为优秀的临床医生、创新的系统思考者和多产的研究人员。重要的是，这些早期领导者的服务有助于突出神经外科学作为一个独特专业的可行性，并为早期神经外科学教育和扩展提供了框架。在这些战争中开发的设备、技术和指南，如颅脑创伤的管理、周围神经修复和止血，为现代神经外科学实践奠定了基础。
