The history of treating spine deformity conditions in Scotland stretches back many decades before the establishment of this service in April 2005. The following are some of those people to whom we as professionals and our current and future patients owe a debt of gratitude. We hope to build on the legacy of care they provided.
Mr Michael J. McMaster
MB, BCh, MD, DSc, FRCS
Mr McMaster was the founding surgeon for the Scottish National Spine Deformity Service which commenced in 2005. This service was based on Mr. McMaster’s pre-existing Edinburgh Spine Deformity Service, which he established in 1974, treating children and adults with severe spinal deformities from Scotland as well as from the UK and abroad. His orthopaedic training was at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, England and at the Mayo Clinic, USA where he became an Associate Orthopaedic Surgeon. He has a world wide reputation and was a founding member of the British Scoliosis Society and later became its president. He is the author of multiple publications and has been invited on many occasions to lecture internationally including the prestigious Harrington Lecture at the American Scoliosis Research Society. In 2014 his paper on Congenital Scoliosis was cited at 31 in the 100 Classic Papers on Spinal Deformity Surgery in the previous 50 years. In 2001 he was awarded the King James IV Professorship from the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and in 2011 received a Doctorate in Science from the University of Edinburgh both based on a recognition of his work in spinal deformity surgery. He retired in 2010 after working for 36 years as a consultant orthopaedic spine surgeon in Edinburgh at the Royal Infirmary, Princess Margaret Rose Orthopaedic Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children specializing in disorders of the spine.
In 2022 he was honoured by a Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Scoliosis Research Society. This award was given for a long and distinguished service to the Society, as well as a significant contribution to spinal deformity research and care. The SRS is the premier international society for spine deformity care and this award has only been given on 28 previous occasions. He was the first surgeon to receive the award in the U.K.
Dr Michael Glasby
BM, BCh, MA, MSc (Oxon); MA (Cantab); MD, DSc (Edin); FRCPE, FRCSE, FRCS
Dr Glasby was the founder of the spinal cord monitoring (Intra-Operative Monitoring / IOM) component of care for this National Service in 2004. His work, began in an advisory capacity in 1999 when he was Reader in Experimental Neurology in the University of Edinburgh. His work then was concerned with the regeneration and surgical repair of peripheral nerves. Dr Glasby single handedly provided the IOM service he had created until he retired in 2010, having appointed and trained a team of Clinical Physiologists to continue the service.
Professor John Ivor Pulsford (JIP) James
MS, FRCS, FRACS (Hon).
Professor James studied medicine at University College Hospital in London, qualifying in 1938. During the war he volunteered for the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and was parachuted into Yugoslavia to give medical assistance to Tito’s guerrilla troops. Later he was awarded the Golden Star of Service by the Yugoslav Republic. After the war he became consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, London.
In 1958 he was appointed to the chair of orthopaedic surgery in Edinburgh. At that time there was an excellent orthopaedic service for the long term care of children at the Princess Margaret Rose Orthopedic Hospital, Edinburgh. JIP’s main clinical interests were in the diverse fields of spinal deformity and hand surgery and he encouraged the development of specialist units. He wrote extensively making many original observations. He retired from Edinburgh in 1979. During his career he received many honours and distinctions including presidency of the British Orthopaedic Association and was also made an honorary fellow of both the American and Australian Orthopaedic Associations.
Born 19/10/1913. Died 11/07/2001, aged 87 years.
