The history and development of Irish orthopaedics: a descriptive review.

From'grave diggers' to a 'Trauma System for Ireland', the history of Irish orthopaedics is a unique and fascinating story. This story has developed over decades and centuries, with many late and great surgeons and trainers playing major roles in developing our orthopaedic services nationally, as we know them today. The authors acknowledge that it would be wrong to think that a 1500-word review could provide an in-depth, yet comprehensive, discussion of all topics past and present of celebration, deliberation and further debate, related to orthopaedic surgery in Ireland. However, this article sought to provide a brief account of some of the key, landmark moments of orthopaedics over the last 3 centuries in Ireland, many of which are responsible for shaping the landscape of the outpatient rooms, orthopaedic wards and theatre suites, in which we provide high standard orthopaedic care to the people of our island today.