Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

From Hippocrates to Tissue Engineering: Surgical Strategies in Wound Treatment

  • Published:
World Journal of Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The history of wound treatment has been virtually the history of surgery for many centuries and also is a history of alliance and conflicts between the physician and nature. The Hippocratic statement about natura medicatrix has been well known since antiquity, but often was neglected. Suppuration was considered a necessary event in the healing process and was elicited by the surgeons with traumatic and painful procedures. The concept of simplicity in treating the wounds was suggested by Teodorico Borgognone and Henry de Mondeville in 13th century and was confirmed only three centuries later by the works of Ambroise Paré and Cesare Magati. The history of wound management has been characterized by empiricism since the 18th century, but it took a physiopathological direction during the 19th century when Virchow investigated tissue reaction to injuries, and Lister introduced antiseptic procedures in surgery. By establishing the basis for a biological method to treat wounds, the seeds were sown to enhance the pathways involved in tissue repair, also with the support of new strategies and technology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Homer (1987) The Iliad. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK

  2. Majno G (1975) The healing hand: man and wound in the Ancient World. Harvard University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  3. Pikoulis EA, Petropoulos JC, Tsigris C, Pikoulis N, Leppaniemi AK, Pavlakis E, Gavrielatou E, Burris D, Bastounis E, Rich NM (2004) Trauma management in ancient Greece: value of surgical principles through the years. World J Surg 28:425–430

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Karger B, Sudhues H, Brinkmann B (2001) Arrow wounds: major stimulus in the history of surgery. World J Surg 25:1550–1555

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Skandalakis PN, Lainas P, Zoras O, Skandalakis JE, Mirilas P (2006) “To afford the wounded speedy assistance”: Dominique Jean Larrey and Napoleon. World J Surg 30:1392–1399

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Temkin O (1991) Hippocrates in a world of pagans and Christians. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hippocrates (1972) The genuine works. Krieger, Huntington, NY

  8. Gahhos FN, Ariyan S (1985) Hippocrates, the true father of hand surgery. Surg Gynecol Obstet 160:178–184

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Celsus AC (1948) De Medicina. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  10. Homer (1987) The Odyssey. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK

  11. Dawson WR (1975) Egypt’s place in medical history. In: Underwood EA (ed) Science mMedicine and history. Arno Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  12. Sipos P, Gyory H, Hagymasi K, Ondrejka P, Blazovics A (2004) Special wound healing methods used in ancient Egypt and the mythological background. World J Surg 28:211–216

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Caldwell MD (1990) Topical wound therapy: an historical perspective. J Trauma 30(12 Suppl):116–122

    Google Scholar 

  14. Cooper R., Molan P (1999) The use of honey as an antiseptic in managing Pseudomonas infection. J Wound Care 8:161–164

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Forrest RD (1982) Early history of wound treatment. J R Soc Med 75:198–205

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Wangensteen OH, Wangensteen SD (1973) Some pre-Listerian and post-Listerian antiseptic wound practice and the emergence of asepsis. Surg Ginecol Obstet 137:677–702

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Forrest RD (1982) Development of wound therapy from the dark ages to the present. J R Soc Med 75:268–273

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Monafo WW (1977) Past is prologue: two Theo’s and a friend: 1977 Presidential Address, American Burn Association Meeting. J Trauma 17:785–792

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Klein MD (1976) The practice of surgery in the fourteen century. Am J Surg 131:587–591

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Haller JD (1964) Guy de Chauliac and his Chirurgia Magna. Surgery 55:337–343

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Wangensteen O, Wangensteen S (1967) Military surgeons and surgery, old and new: an instructive chapter in management of contaminated wounds. Surgery 62:1102–1124

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Paré A (1928) Voyages et Apologie. Librerie Gallimard, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  23. Magati C (1616) De rara medicatione vulnerum seu de vulneribus raro tractandis. Ambrosium et Bartolomeum Dei, Venezia

  24. Nicoli Aldini N, Fini M, Giavaresi G, Giardino R (1995) “De rara medicatione vulnerum”: an historical approach to wound care. In: Altmeyer P, Hoffmann K, el Gammal S, Hutchinson J (eds) Wound healing and skin physiology. Springer Verlag, Berlin–Heidelberg, pp 19–26

    Google Scholar 

  25. Helling TS, McNabney WK (2000) The role of amputation in the management of battlefield casualties: a history of two millennia. J Trauma 49:930–939

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Sheldon GF, Kagarise MJ (1998) John Hunter and the American School of Surgery. J Trauma 44:13–40

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Hunter J (1794) A treatise on blood, inflammation and gunshot wounds. George Nicol, London

    Google Scholar 

  28. Ellis H (2001) John Hunter’s teaching on gunshot wounds. J Royal Soc Med 94:43–45

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Bilguer JU (1764) A dissertation on the inutility of the amputation of limbs (English translation). R. Baldwin, London

    Google Scholar 

  30. Treves F (1923) The old receiving room: the elephant man and other reminescences. Cassel, London

    Google Scholar 

  31. Calnan JS (1978) Scars, then and now. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 60:313–314

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Rhodes P (1985) An outline history of medicine. Butterworths, London

    Google Scholar 

  33. Shirtes GT (1990) Evolution of trauma and trauma research. J Trauma 30(12 Suppl):107–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Lister J (1909) Collected papers. Clarendon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  35. Toledo Pereyra LH, Toledo MM (1976) A critical study on Lister’s work on antiseptic surgery. Am J Surg 131:736–744

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Kandela P (1999) Antisepsis. Lancet 353:937

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Wangensteen O, Wangensteen S, Klinger C (1972) Surgical cleanliness, hospital salubrity and surgical statistics, historically considered. Surgery 71:477–498

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Greene NM (1979) Anesthesia and the development of surgery (1846–1896). Anesth Analg 58:5–12

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Alexander JW (1985) The contribution of infection control to a century of surgical progress. Ann Surg 201:423–428

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Giardino R, Fini M, Giavaresi G, Nicoli Aldini N (1996) Experimental surgical research for the improvement of human life. In: Barbucci R (ed) The development of science for the improvement of human life. Cadmo, Siena

    Google Scholar 

  41. Virchow R (1860) Cellular pathology (transl. by F. Chance). John Churchill, London

    Google Scholar 

  42. Morykwas MJ, Argenta LC (1997) Nonsurgical modalities to enhance healing and care of soft tissue wounds. J South Orthop Assoc 6:279–288

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Samson D, Lefevre F, Aronson N (2004) Wound healing technologies: low level laser and vacuum-assisted closure. Evid Rep Technol Assess 111:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  44. Jenkins DD, Yang GP, Lorenz HP, Longaker MT, Sylvester KG (2003) Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Clin Plast Surg 30:581–588

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Langer R (1997) Tissue engineering: a new field and its challenges. Pharm Res 4:840–841

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Clark RA, Ghosh K, Tonnesen MG (2007) Tissue engineering for cutaneous wounds. J Invest Dermatol 127:1018–1029

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Patel ZS, Mikos AG (2004) Angiogenesis with biomaterial based drug and cell delivery Systems. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed 15:701–726

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Bannasc H, Fohn M, Unterberg T, Bach AD, Weyand B, Stark GD (2003) Skin tissue engineering. Clin Plast Surg 30:573–579

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Jimenez PA, Jimenez SE (2004) Tissue and cellular approaches to wound repair. Am J Surg 187:56S–64S

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Kopp J, Jeschke MG, Bach AD, Kneser U, Horch RE (2004) Applied tissue engineering in the closure of severe burns and chronic wounds using cultured human autologous keratinocytes in a natural fibrin matrix. Cell Tissue Bank 5:89–96

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Prenosil JE, Kinooka M (1999) Computer controlled bioreactor for large scale production of cultures skin grafts. Ann N Y Acad Sci 875:386–397

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Hollister SJ, Maddox RD, Taboas JM (2002) Optimal design and fabrication of scaffolds to mimic tissue properties and satisfy biological constraints. Biomaterials 23:4095–4103

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Giardino R, Fini M, Nicoli Aldini N, Giavaresi G, Rocca M (1999) Polylactide bioabsorbable polymers for guided tissue regeneration. J Trauma 47:303–308

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Giardino R, Nicoli Aldini N, Fini M, Tanzi MC, Fare S, Draghi L, Carpi A, Nicolini A, Giavaresi G (2006) Bioabsorbable scaffold for in situ bone regeneration. Biomed Pharmacother 60:386–392

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Hing KA (2004) Bone repair in the twenty-first century: biology, chemistry or engineering? Phil Trans R Soc Lond A 362:2821–2850

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Ehrenreich M, Ruszczak Z (2006) Update on tissue-engineered biological dressings. Tissue Eng 12:2407–2424

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Aurora A, McCarron J, Iannotti JP, Derwin K (2007) Commercially available extracellular matrix materials for rotator cuff repair: state of the art and future trends. J Shoulder Elbow Surg 16:171S–178S

    Article  Google Scholar 

  58. Naughton GK (2002) From lab bench to market: critical issues in tissue engineering. Ann NY Acad Sci 961:372–385

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Cappelletti V (2000) Giorgio Baglivi tra meccanicismo ed ippocratismo. Med Secoli 12:9–18

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Baglivi G (1716) Opera Omnia Medico-Practica et Anatomica. Jacobum Tomasinum, Venezia

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Surgery, Research Institute Codivilla-Putti – Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Via di Barbiano, 1/10, 40136, Bologna, Italy

    Nicolò Nicoli Aldini, Milena Fini & Roberto Giardino

  2. Chair of Surgical Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Roberto Giardino

Authors
  1. Nicolò Nicoli Aldini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Milena Fini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Roberto Giardino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicolò Nicoli Aldini.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nicoli Aldini, N., Fini, M. & Giardino, R. From Hippocrates to Tissue Engineering: Surgical Strategies in Wound Treatment. World J Surg 32, 2114–2121 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-008-9662-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-008-9662-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation