René Le Fort
Encyclopedia
René Le Fort was a French surgeon
from Lille
remembered for creating a classification for fractures
of the face. He was a nephew to surgeon Léon Clément Le Fort
(1829-1893), who introduced a surgical operation for uterine prolapse
.
. In 1899 he began teaching classes at the medical university in Lille. At the outbreak of the First Balkan War
(1912), he re-joined the army as a military physician. During World War I
he received a commendation for bravery for his actions at the Battle of Dinant
. He spent the last two years of the war in Versailles
largely dealing with breast cancer
and heart disease
issues.
In 1919 he worked at the Hôpital des Invalides prior to returning to Lille the following year. Here he became a professor at the surgical department for pediatric surgery
and orthopedics
. He was also a volunteer at the sanatorium in Zuydcoote
, where he researched treatments for bone tuberculosis
. In 1936 he was awarded the Prix Laborie and elected president of the Société française de chirurgie et orthopédique. In 1937 he went into retirement, but during World War II
returned to the University of Lille
to replace former colleagues who were part of the war effort.
fractures of the skull
. To perform these experiments, Le Fort used the skulls of cadaver
s, and delivered blunt forces of varying degrees of magnitude, as well as from different directions. From these tests, he determined that predictable patterns of fractures are the result of certain types of injuries, and concluded that there are three predominant types of mid-face fractures.
In some instances, maxillary fractures are a combination of two or three Le Fort types
. Although this system of classification is considered somewhat simplistic today, it is still widely used in medicine.
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
from Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
remembered for creating a classification for fractures
Bone fracture
A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...
of the face. He was a nephew to surgeon Léon Clément Le Fort
Léon Clément Le Fort
Léon Clément Le Fort was a French surgeon remembered for his work on uterine prolapse, including Le Fort's operation...
(1829-1893), who introduced a surgical operation for uterine prolapse
Uterine prolapse
Uterine prolapse is a form of female genital prolapse Uterine prolapse is a form of female genital prolapse Uterine prolapse is a form of female genital prolapse (also called pelvic organ prolapse or prolapse of the uterus (womb).Treatment is surgical, and the options include hysterectomy or a...
.
Biography
After earning his medical degree with a treatise titled Etude expérimental sur les fractures de la machoire supérieure, he served as a medical resident followed by work as a military surgeon for the French army hospital at Val-de-GrâceVal-de-Grâce
This article describes the hospital and former abbey. For the main article on Mansart and Lemercier's central church, see Church of the Val-de-Grâce....
. In 1899 he began teaching classes at the medical university in Lille. At the outbreak of the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
(1912), he re-joined the army as a military physician. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he received a commendation for bravery for his actions at the Battle of Dinant
Dinant
Dinant is a Walloon city and municipality located on the River Meuse in the Belgian province of Namur, Belgium. The Dinant municipality includes the old communes of Anseremme, Bouvignes-sur-Meuse, Dréhance, Falmagne, Falmignoul, Foy-Notre-Dame, Furfooz, Lisogne, Sorinnes, and Thynes.-Origins to...
. He spent the last two years of the war in Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
largely dealing with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
and heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
issues.
In 1919 he worked at the Hôpital des Invalides prior to returning to Lille the following year. Here he became a professor at the surgical department for pediatric surgery
Pediatric surgery
Pediatric surgery or paediatric surgery is a subspecialty of surgery involving the surgery of fetuses, infants, children, adolescents, and young adults...
and orthopedics
Orthopedics
Orthopedics is the study of the musculoskeletal system. The Greek word 'ortho' means straight or correct and 'pedics' comes from the Greek 'pais' meaning children. For many centuries, orthopedists have been involved in the treatment of crippled children...
. He was also a volunteer at the sanatorium in Zuydcoote
Zuydcoote
-References:*...
, where he researched treatments for bone tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. In 1936 he was awarded the Prix Laborie and elected president of the Société française de chirurgie et orthopédique. In 1937 he went into retirement, but during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
returned to the University of Lille
University of Lille
The original university in the Lille region of France was the University of Douai established in 1559 in Douai and that was moved to Lille in 1887.University campuses in the Academy of Lille are members of the Université Lille Nord de France and European Doctoral College Lille Nord-Pas de...
to replace former colleagues who were part of the war effort.
Le Fort Fractures
In 1901 René Le Fort published a treatise called concerning his experiments with maxillaryMaxilla
The maxilla is a fusion of two bones along the palatal fissure that form the upper jaw. This is similar to the mandible , which is also a fusion of two halves at the mental symphysis. Sometimes The maxilla (plural: maxillae) is a fusion of two bones along the palatal fissure that form the upper...
fractures of the skull
Human skull
The human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
. To perform these experiments, Le Fort used the skulls of cadaver
Cadaver
A cadaver is a dead human body.Cadaver may also refer to:* Cadaver tomb, tomb featuring an effigy in the form of a decomposing body* Cadaver , a video game* cadaver A command-line WebDAV client for Unix....
s, and delivered blunt forces of varying degrees of magnitude, as well as from different directions. From these tests, he determined that predictable patterns of fractures are the result of certain types of injuries, and concluded that there are three predominant types of mid-face fractures.
- Le Fort I fractures: (horizontal) A fracture of the maxilla immediately above the teeth and palatePalateThe palate is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but, in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly separate. The palate is divided into two parts, the anterior...
. - Le Fort II fractures: (pyramidal) The result of a blow to the lower or mid maxilla.
- Le Fort III fractures: (transverse) Also called craniofacialCraniofacialCraniofacial may be used to describe certain congenital malformations, injuries, surgeons who subspecialize in this area, multi-disciplinary medical-surgical teams that treat and do research on disorders affecting this region, and organizations with interest in...
separation, the result of impact to the nasal bridge or upper maxilla.
In some instances, maxillary fractures are a combination of two or three Le Fort types
LeFort fracture
Le Fort fractures are types of facial fractures involving the maxillary bone and surrounding structures in a usually bilateral and either horizontal, pyramidal or transverse way. LeFort fractures are classic in facial trauma...
. Although this system of classification is considered somewhat simplistic today, it is still widely used in medicine.
Selected writings
- Étude expérimentale sur les fractures de la mâchoire supérieure (1901)
- Les Projectiles inclus dans le mediastin (1918)