Frederick Clinton Kidner
1879-1950
Dr. Frederick Clinton Kidner, widely known orthopaedic surgeon, died in Detroit on October 20, 1950. Born on April 13, 1879, at Ipswich, Massachusetts, he received his preliminary education in Boston and at St. Mark's School. He was graduated from Harvard University, receiving his A.B. degree in 1900 and his degree of M.D. in 1900. Following his graduation from Harvard Medical School, he served as intern at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 1904-05.
Dr. Kidner early manifested an interest in orthopaedic surgery and after his internship pursued special courses in this branch of medicine in Boston. After the completion of his training, Dr. Kidner was invited to become a member of the staff of The Children's Hospital of Michigan at Detroit to develop an orthopaedic service; this he did with conspicuous success. In the years following, Dr. Kidner, in addition to his active medical career in Detroit, played a large part in the development of a state-wide Crippled Children's Service in Michigan, one of the first in this country.
In April, 1917, Dr. Kidner married Marjory Mellish of Detroit. While on their honeymoon, he was called to active service in the Army as a Captain and was immediately sent to England with the first group of orthopaedic surgeons assigned to help Sir Robert Jones in his work with British casualties. He was stationed at the Military Orthopaedic Hospital at Shepherds Bush until 1918, when he was promoted to the rank of Major and made Consultant in Orthopaedic Surgery for the British Isles; this position he held until the end of the War.
Dr. Kidner contributed extensively to orthopaedic literature throughout his active life. His publications covered a wide range of subjects and added greatly to orthopaedic knowledge and techniques. Probably the outstanding characteristics of his writings were their conservatism and soundness; he was not one to he carried away by new ideas just because they were new, but was always ready to accept new proposals which had been thoroughly tested by time and experience.
Frederick Clinton Kidner was greatly honored in his time. He was a member of The American Orthopaedic Association, serving as its President in 1937-38, and a member of the Clinical Orthopaedic Society. He was a Fellow of The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons. He was Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emeritus, Wayne University School of Medicine; Surgeon-in-chief, Emeritus, of Orthopaedics at the Children's Hospital of Michigan; Retired Chief Surgeon of the Department. of Orthopaedics at Harper Hospital; Visiting Orthopaedic Surgeon, Pontiac General Hospital and Wyandotte General Hospital; Consultant in Orthopaedic Surgery at the Woman's and Receiving Hospitals, Detroit.
Above and beyond these tangible evidences of respect and appreciation was the esteem of his colleagues and those who were privileged to be his friends and the love which came to him from those, especially the crippled children of his state, who through his skill and devotion were restored to health and usefulness.
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 1951
