Conclusion: Surgery, Science and Industry in Modern Medicine

Abstract

As I stated in the introduction, my purpose in studying the history of the AO was twofold. By investigating the way a single technique, in this case osteosynthesis, was transformed from its pre-AO state of peripheral significance to a technique that redefined the standard in fracture care, I hoped to gain insight into the general development of medicine in the second half of the twentieth century. At the same time, I expected that a reconsideration of the modern medical context in broader terms would clarify the conditions necessary for the success of a particular technique. While I have tried to regard both aspects at each step in my analysis, my goal in this concluding chapter is to bring the main points together and highlight their reciprocity.