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| Year : 2021 | Volume
: 29
| Issue : 1 | Page : 32-33 |
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Our legends: Prof. ML Chatterjee
Sanjay Keshkar1, Dilip Kumar Mazumder1, Nirmal Dey2, Tapan Kumar Maitra3
1 Department of Orthopaedics, ESIC Medical College & Hospital Joka, Kolkata, India
2 Department of Orthopaedics, Jagannath Gupta Institute of Medical Sciences, Kolkata, India
3 Department of Orthopaedics, College of Medicine & JNM Hospital, Kalyani, West Bengal, India
| Date of Submission | 19-Jul-2021 |
| Date of Acceptance | 21-Jul-2021 |
| Date of Web Publication | 21-Aug-2021 |
Correspondence Address:
Sanjay Keshkar
Professor & HOD, Department of Orthopaedics, ESIC Medical College & Hospital Joka, Kolkata 700104, West Bengal.
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ijors.ijors_23_21
How to cite this article:
Keshkar S, Mazumder DK, Dey N, Maitra TK. Our legends: Prof. ML Chatterjee. Int J Orthop Surg 2021;29:32-3 |
The creative work of some individuals is of such value to humanity that an era has been called after them. In the history of West Bengal Orthopaedics Association (WBOA), Prof. ML Chatterjee was such an individual. He was not only the foremost orthopedic surgeon of West Bengal but also had national and international recognition.[1]
Prof. ML Chatterjee was born on February 1, 1914. He did his initial school education and then medical graduation from Kolkata. After his postgraduation (MS) in general surgery, he went to England and completed his FRCS (Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons) in the early 50s.[1]
After completing his FRCS, he came back to India and joined as Faculty in Surgery at Calcutta National Medical College (CNMC), Kolkata. While working as general surgeon, he had an inclination toward orthopedics. He was a pioneer in organizing the orthopedic specialty departments at CNMC and later on in Calcutta Medial Research Institute (CMRI). He was the Founder President of WBOA from 1980 to 1984. The WBOA was officially registered in July 1978 but years before its registration, the proceedings of orthopedic surgeons were held regularly at their residences and clinics. Prof. ML Chatterjee’s residence was one of them. His residence at Khardah (suburb of Kolkata) witnessed the first annual meeting of WBOA with clinical discussion in 1970.[1]
As far as Indian Orthopaedics is concerned, he was one of our honored predecessors who fought for separation of orthopedics from surgery and ultimately succeeded by forming the Indian Orthopaedic Association in 1955–56. He was President of the Indian Orthopaedic Association in 1961.[1],[2]
He is known nationally and internationally for his contributions in understanding the fractures of the femoral shaft and neck which helped to resolve various grey areas in management of these cases. He innovated a plate named as “Chatterjee’s Hook Compression Plate” to fix the proximal femur fracture or osteotomy. The 90/90 traction for treatment of fracture shaft femur in children is also his idea and innovation. While doing his FRCS in the UK, he got an opportunity to work with Prof. Wilkins and learned excisional surgeries for joint tuberculosis which he popularized in India. He wrote a textbook on orthopedics which was made hurriedly, during his terminal stage of life.
He presented his work and innovations in various scientific platforms and delivered several prestigious orations and invited guest lectures, nationally, and internationally. The Kini Memorial Oration in l964, The Katrak Oration in 1977, and Pandalai Oration of the Association of Surgeons of India 1978[1],[3] are some examples.
Prof. Chatterjee has been an outstanding teacher. Students got attracted by his humorous way of teaching. He used to say “Bone is filled with humoral matter and it should be taught in humorous way.” He was also an able administrator, a great clinician and dedicated clinical researcher. His contribution to orthopedic surgery of our country is commendable. In his memory, one prestigious Oration, “Prof. ML Chatterjee Oration” was instituted and delivered every year during the Midterm Conference of WBOA since 1999.[1]
His mortal life came to an end on September 24, 1988.
He will be remembered for ages to come.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
Authors’ contribution
SK prepared the manuscript. DM gave inputs about Prof. ML Chatterjee, as he worked as a student and assistant with him. DND gave inputs about Prof. ML Chatterjee. TM gave inputs about Prof. ML Chatterjee and edited the manuscript.
| References | |  |
| 1. | Available from: http://www.wboa.in/home/about_us. [Last accessed on 19 July 2021].  |
| 2. | Available from: https://www.ioaindia.org/. [Last accessed on 19 July 2021]. |
| 3. | Available from: http://asiindia.org/founder-president-the-association-of-surgeons-of-india/. [Last accessed on 19 July 2021]. |
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