Child's mechanical spine and head support, England, 1940-1960

Child's mechanical spinal and head support, with adjustable waist-belt and chin-strap, from the Lord Mayor Treloar Orthopaedic Hospital, Alton, Hampshire, England, 1940-1960

Secured around the waist and underneath the arms, this leather and metal support for the spine was worn in attempt to correct the shape of bones that were growing abnormally. The support was worn by children with diseases such as tuberculosis of the bone, which could drastically affect the shape of the spine and other bones.

The splint was used at the Lord Mayor Treloar Orthopaedic Hospital in Alton, Hampshire, England. The hospital was hospital set up in 1908, to treat children with a range of orthopaedic conditions and physical disabilities. The hospital combined treatment with education and schooling.