The osteoporosis of immobilisation in recumbency.

‘riiis study of immobilisation osteoporosis was undertaken when it was realised tluat the important observations of Gill (1944, 1947) upon epiphysial disruption and premature fusion at the knee were only a part of a much larger problem. The disturbance of bone growth associated with epiphysial fusion gave Gill’s paper its immediate importance. However, prololuged recumbency also produces widespread skeletal changes which in the tiuorax and both lO\VetF limbs are often permanent. These cluanges have particular import in tuberculosis of tlue hip but are in any case the effects of an interference with the metabolism of the patient which ouglut if possible to be avoided. liuat many of the present methods of treating skeletal tuberculosis necessarily exert an