Health Sciences · Robert W. Jackson Arthroscopy · UTSIC
A Ziploc bag contains eight beige hand-made screws of varying length. Six of the screws have short extensions above the screw head. These are presumably meant to assist in driving the screws and would be subsequently removed. Six of the screws are of similar length and width. One is slightly longer and another is significantly longer.
Accession Number: 2023.JAC.277
Alternative Name:
Primary Materials: Ivory
A note within the bag reads as follows: “Bone Screws- made of IVORY// – made by Dr HEY-GROVES// BRISTOL 1920”
Screws are ~4-5mm in diameter. The longest screw is ~8.5cm in length. The shortest is ~2.2.
Function:
The screws appear to be intact and on good condition. Two are missing the extension above the screw head.
Similar ivory screws, along with other bone implants, are catalogued as 2025.med.52.1-18 . These were donated by Dr. Allan Gross.
Attributed to Ernest Hey Groves. Bristol, UK.
Date of Manufacture: c. 1920
The Robert W. Jackson Arthroscopy Collection was acquired by the University of Toronto from Dr. Jackson’s family on November 12th, 2020.
Ernest W. Hey Groves (1918). “Ununited Fractures, with Special Reference to Gunshot Injuries and the Use of Bone Grafting.” British Journal of Surgery 6, no. 22: 203–47.
The Royal College of Surgeons of England. “Plarr’s Lives of the Fellows: E004298 – Groves, Ernest William Hey (1872 – 1944)” Webpage. (Archived May 14, 2025).
Ernest William Hey Groves (1872 – 1944) was a prominent English surgeon who was particularly focused on orthopedics, especially the mending of complex fractures.
He is known for promoting the use of intramedullary pegs made of ivory. Various writings also discuss the use of ivory nails, tubes, as well as pegs for passing wire through bone. (See, for instance Hey Groves 1918, 240-246.)
- Donated to UTSIC