Child's mechanical spinal support, England, 1940-1960

Child's mechanical spinal support, 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 experiencing 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, England, a 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.