Martin Kirschner
Martin Kirschner (1879 – 1942) was a German surgeon.
Significant contribution to general surgery; orthopaedic surgery; traumatology; anaesthesiology and pain therapy. Performed the first successful pulmonary artery embolectomy (Trendelenburg’s operation). Pioneer of stereotactic surgery in humans, treating trigeminal neuralgia with electrode ablation.
Established mobile hospitals and is considered a forefather of the trauma service, emergency medicine and intensive care.
In orthopaedics he is best known for skeletal traction; bone elongation and the eponymous Kirschner wire (K-wire).
Biography
- Born 28 October 1879, Breslau (now known as known as Wroclaw, Poland)
- 1916 – Professor of surgery at Königsberg
- 1927 – Professor of surgery at Tübingen
- Died 30 August 1942, Heidelberg
Medical Eponyms
- Kirschner wire
- Kirschner-Perthes cuff – to effect a bloodless field in limb surgery with the inflation of a rubber cuff
- Kirschner’s operation – Percutaneous electrocoagulation of Ganglion gasseri (trigeminal ganglion)
- Kirchner traction (1909) Fractures treated with wires and splints. A thin steel wire (Kirschner wire) through drill holes in bone to allow the application of external traction.
Major Publications
- Kirschner M. Die Punktionstechnik und Elektrokoagulation des Ganglion Gasseri. [The Puncture Technique and Electrocoagulation of the Ganglion Gasseri] Arch f klin Chir 176:580, 1933
- Kirschner M. Ueber Nagelextension. Beiträge zur Klinischen Chirurgie 1909 ; 64 : 266-279.
- Kirschner M. Verbesserungen der Drahtextension. Arch Klin Chir 1927 ; 148 : 651-658.
- Kirschner M. Einige Neuerungen der Drahtextensionsbehandlung der Knochenbrüche. Der Chirurg 1942 ; 14:673-677.
- Kirschner M, Nordmann O. Die Chirurgie, Band I. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Berlin, Wien, 1940, pp 567-570.
- Kirschner M, Nordmann O. Die Chirurgie, Band IV. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Berlin, Wien, 1944, pp 322-342.
- Kirschner M. Allgemeine und spezielle Chirurgische Operationslehre. [General and special surgical operations] Vol. III, Springer Verlag, Berlin 1940
- Kirschner M. Zur Hygiene des Operationssaales. [Hygiene of the operating room] Zbl f Chir 39:216249, 1925
- Kirschner M. Die Schmerzbekimpfung im Felde. Der Chirurg 8:269-76, 1936.
- Kirschner M. Die Kombinatin verschiedener Verfahren der Schmerzausschaltung. [The combination of different methods of pain relief] Chirurg 9:265, 1935.
- Kirschner M. Eine psycheschonende und steuerbare Form der Allgemein betiubung. Chirurg 15:672, 1929.
References
Biography
- Goerig M, Beck H. Martin Kirschner — an outstanding surgeon and anesthetist. In: The history of anesthesia proceedings of the Third International Symposium Atlanta 1992
- Bumbasirević M, Lesić A, Zagorac S, Cobeljić G. Martin Kirsner (1879-1942), tvorac moderne sluzbe traumatologije u urgentne medicine [Martin Kirschner (1879-1942): the founder of modern trauma clinics and emergency medicine]. Srp Arh Celok Lek. 2009 Jul-Aug;137(7-8):449-53.
- Portrait: Kirschner, Martin. Clendening Library Portrait Collection [Reference]
Eponymous terms
- Fink BR, Morris LE, Stephen, CR, Editors. The history of anesthesia proceedings of the Third International Symposium Atlanta 1992
eponym
the person behind the name
