The First 30 Years of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand

The formation of the Hand Club: a 60th anniversary

“…Its principal benefit was to establish the concept of hand surgery as an acceptable sub-speciality interest within an orthopaedic establishment that was suspicious of fragmentation. Professor JIP James (Figure 9) considered it 'a dining club with hand surgery as gossip' (Barton 1998). All the major initiatives we associate with the duties of a national surgical society came with the establishment of the Second Hand Club.…”

Outcome measures following surgery to the rheumatoid hand

“…The need for this specialization came about because of the recognition of the complexities of the functions of the hand [1][2][3] Hand surgeons and therapists alike are keen to improve and implement the evidence base for their practice. Whilst rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease, and its principle management is medical, the manifestations in the hand frequently bring it to the attention of the hand surgeon.…”

Guy Pulvertaft – An Appreciation

“…Guy was an inaugural member of the prestigious Hand Club and, unusually, was also invited to join the splendidly named ‘Second Hand Club’ – a group of up and coming surgeons interested in hand surgery. He was an important link that allowed the two clubs to fuse in 1964 and four years later to become the British Society for Surgery of the Hand (Barton, 1998). It is interesting with hindsight to review the correspondence between our founding fathers on the implications of setting up a national hand society.…”