Arthur Holstein
Arthur Holstein (1913-2000) an American Orthopedic Surgeon
Arthur Holstein was an American orthopaedic surgeon, WWII Navy veteran, and co-describer of the Holstein–Lewis fracture. Born in Waterbury, Connecticut on December 25, 1913, he trained in medicine at Temple University, with surgical internship at King’s County Hospital, Brooklyn. He was a collegiate athlete, earning varsity letters in football, wrestling, and track, and remained active throughout life in swimming, sailing, and badminton.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Holstein was completing his orthopaedic residency at the Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York. He was commissioned in the U.S. Navy and initially posted to St. Albans Naval Hospital, Long Island, but was quickly deployed to Milford, Wales, where he served as Chief Orthopaedist at the newly constructed U.S. Naval Hospital — the first casualties there were glider troops injured during the Normandy invasion.
Following VE Day, he was transferred to the Pacific Theatre, treating bone and blast injuries at Naval Hospitals 103 and 111 on Guam during the Okinawa campaign and the final phase of the war. He remarked on the different injury patterns between theaters — bone-crushing injuries from floating craft in Europe, versus multi-fragment wounds from kamikaze attacks in the Pacific.
After his discharge, Dr Holstein settled permanently in California, embodying the “Connecticut Yankee who went West.” By 1946, he had established himself professionally in Berkeley and San Francisco, holding positions across five major institutions:
- Consultant in Research Anatomy at University of California Hospital
- Attending surgeon at Herrick Hospital, Highland Hospital, and Kaiser Permanente Oakland
He practiced for over 40 years, primarily based at Alta Bates Hospital, where he also collaborated with Gwilym B. Lewis. Their joint 1963 publication defined the fracture that bears both their names – the Holstein–Lewis fracture
Dr Holstein was married to Joan Holstein, a native of Lyon, France, and they had one daughter, Stephanie Jo Holstein. He passed away in Berkeley on October 26, 2000, aged 86.
Biography
- 1913 – Born in Waterbury, Connecticut (25 December)
- 1930s – Studied at Temple University; interned at King’s County Hospital, Brooklyn
- Early 1940s – Residency at Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York
- 1942–43 – Commissioned in U.S. Navy; served at St. Albans Naval Hospital
- 1944 – Chief Orthopaedist, U.S. Naval Hospital, Milford, Wales; treated glider casualties from D-Day
- 1945 – Transferred to Pacific; served at Hospitals 103 and 111 on Guam during Okinawa campaign
- 1946 – Discharged from Navy; relocated to San Francisco East Bay
- 1946–1990s – Consultant and attending at multiple Bay Area hospitals including Alta Bates
- 1963 – Co-authored the Holstein–Lewis fracture paper
- 2000 – Died in Berkeley, California (26 October), aged 86
In memory of their service to medicine and education, the Dr. Arthur and Joan Holstein Scholarship Endowment Fund was established through the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, supporting future generations in medical education.
Medical Eponyms
Holstein–Lewis fracture (1963)
Simple spiral fracture of the humerus involving the distal 1/3 of the shaft with the distal bone fragment displaced and the proximal end deviated toward the radial side. Often associated with radial nerve paralysis.
1962 – Holstein and Gwilym B. Lewis presented a paper at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Chicago. They presented 7 cases with this fracture type associated with radial nerve palsy
1963 – Holstein and Lewis published a study of 341 consecutive distal humerus fractures in the JBJS, 6 patients with radial nerve palsies were found, 5 of whom showed this specific fracture pattern. They hypothesized that the high association with radial nerve palsy was that the fracture occurred at the site of radial nerve runs through the lateral intermuscular septum in direct contact with the bone and with limited mobility.
The fracture is in the distal third of the humerus, spiral in type, with the distal bone fragment displaced proximally and the proximal end deviated radially. The radial nerve is caught at the fracture site.
Major Publications
- Holstein A. Concussion fractures and dislocations abord small craft. United States Naval Medical Bulletin 1945; 44: 790-792
- Holstein A, Lewis GB. Laminectomy and fusion for disc lesions. Calif Med. 1957 Feb;86(2):91-2.
- Holstein A, Lewis GB. Comminuted fractures of the acetabulum: central dislocation of the femoral head. J Int Coll Surg. 1959 Jul;32(1):65-70.
- Lewis GB, Holstein A. End results in patellectomy. Bull Hosp Joint Dis. 1960 Apr;21:71-4.
- Holstein A, Lewis GB. Fractures of the humerus with radial-nerve paralysis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1963; 45: 1382-8 [Holstein–Lewis fracture]
- Holstein A, Lewis GB. Extruded lumbar intervertebral discs in pseudospondylolisthesis. Bull Hosp Joint Dis. 1969 Apr;30(1):28-38.
References
Biography
- Our Civilian Consultants. The Oak Leaf Vol. 6 (October 4, 1947)
- HOLSTEIN, Arthur, M.D. October 28, 2000
- Obituary San Francisco Examiner. 28 October 2000, p.14
- WWII Draft Registration Card, 1940
- Obituary Records, Sinai Memorial Chapel, Lafayette, California
Eponymous term
- Hunter TB, Peltier LF, Lund PJ. Radiologic history exhibit. Musculoskeletal eponyms: who are those guys? RadioGraphics 2000; 20: 819-36.
- Somford MP, Wiegerinck JI, Hoornenborg D, van den Bekerom MP, Eygendaal D. Eponyms in elbow fracture surgery. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2015 Mar;24(3):369-75
Eponym
the person behind the name
