Paulus of Aegina and the historical origins of spine surgery

Kevin Jang, Jeffrey V. Rosenfeld, Antonio Di Ieva*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

    5 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Paulus of Aegina (625–690 AD) was the last of the prolific Byzantine physicians. His works consolidated and extended the knowledge of his predecessors, with pioneering efforts to improve the surgical management of spinal injuries. In this article, we review the literature to present an overview of the remarkable evolution of spine surgery throughout classical antiquity. In particular, we discuss the contributions of Paulus to this corpus and explore his classic 7-book anthology, Epitomoe Medicae Libri Septem (Medical Compendium in Seven Books). In reviewing Paulus' legacy, we show the significant milestones in the early development of anatomic and functional knowledge of the spine.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)291-301
    Number of pages11
    JournalWorld Neurosurgery
    Volume133
    Early online date15 Oct 2019
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2020

    Keywords

    • Anatomy
    • History
    • Paulus of Aegina
    • Spinal injuries
    • Spine surgery
    • Spine trauma

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