Professor Louis Solomon Tribute

We are greatly saddened that our esteemed President, Professor Louis Solomon passed away on the 19 August 2014.

Louis Solomon grew up in the small town of Kakamas in the North Western Cape. He attended the South African College School (SACS) in Newlands, Cape Town and went to Medical School at the University of Cape Town. He furthered his education at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, London and obtained a Doctorate in Medicine on arthritis. At the time he was appointed as Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Witwatersrand he was the youngest ever professor of an orthopaedic department and was ultimately Emeritus Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery University of Bristol.

He was a prolific published author and was the senior author of Apley’s System of Orthopaedics and Fractures, a publication that is standard issue for every orthopaedic surgeon. He went on to write a concise version for medical students.

He had a truly outstanding career and was responsible for shaping and developing the careers of many successful orthopaedic surgeons. He was always willing to discuss and debate any orthopaedic issue but he also loved to debate every aspect of social politics as well as rugby.

If one felt limited or frustrated about something, one of his favourite comments was ‘if you only have lemons then make lemonade’.

He was a true ‘guru’ who will continue to inspire us all.