Gathorne Robert Girdlestone

Gathorne Robert Girdlestone
Portrait drawing of Gathorne Robert Girdlestone by William Rothenstein (1872–1945); sanguine and white chalk, circa 1899-1938, collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London
Born	1881
Died	1950
Residence	Oxford
Nationality	British
Fields	orthopaedic surgery
Institutions	Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre

Professor Gathorne Robert Girdlestone (1881–1950), often known as GRG, was a pioneering orthopaedic surgeon, the founder of the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, and the first Nuffield Professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Oxford.

Gathorne Robert Girdlestone was born in 1881, the son of Robert Baker Girdlestone, Canon of Christ Church, Oxford and first Principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He went to Charterhouse and then to New College, Oxford.

Gathorne Robert Girdlestone died in 1950.

In 1943 Girdlestone described an Orthopedic procedure which is intended to rescue hip joints in humans and more commonly these days, in animals.

The procedure, a Femoral head ostectomy – also known as a Femoral head and neck ostectomy – is a salvage procedure, mostly used in cases of severe damage through Hip dysplasia or Arthritis in which the Head (and, sometimes, the Neck) of the Femur are removed, allowing fibrous tissue to grow in place, creating effectively, a pseudo-joint.

In honor of Professor Girdlestone, this operation is referred to as a Girdlestone procedure.

There are 2 roads near the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford names after Gathorne Girdlestone: Gathorne Road and Girdlestone Road. It is difficult to know whether he would have been pleased with this honour, as he had refused to allow the Wingfield Hospital to bear his name.

The book publications of Gathorne Robert Girdlestone include:

His published articles include: