Our History
The authors of MSK Radiology 4U continue a proud tradition of musculoskeletal imaging in Birmingham, England going back over 100 years — from Dr James Brailsford at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital to the digital resource you are using today.
Key Figures
Dr James Brailsford
1888–1961
Radiologist to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham
Arguably the doyen of bone radiology in the early and mid twentieth century. Author of The Radiology of Bones and Joints (5 editions, 1934–1953) and over 125 sole-author publications. Described the Morquio–Brailsford Syndrome (1929). Many of his original radiographs and lantern slides survive and are included in this resource.
Dr Philip Jacobs
1917–2005
Succeeded Brailsford at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital
A prolific scholar and international figure in skeletal radiology. Published an Atlas of Hand Radiographs (1973), was a founding member of the International Skeletal Society (1972), and served as editor of the journal Skeletal Radiology.
Dr Mark Davies
Appointed 1984
Consultant MSK Radiologist, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham
Inherited Brailsford's and Jacobs' teaching files in 1984 and has spent over 40 years expanding and digitising them. With Professor Paul Pynsent, developed the computer-based teaching system from 1995. Faculty member of the pan-European Erasmus Course on MRI since 1993. The website and apps are the culmination of his sustained effort, supported by the Birmingham Orthopaedic Charity.
A Century of Teaching
For much of the last century, teaching of imaging comprised either small groups gathered in a darkened room clustered around a bank of viewing light boxes, or larger groups in lecture theatres viewing images first from glass lantern slides and then slide projectors — with dual-projection carousel slide projectors considered the ultimate in sophistication for a time.
With the advent of computers, PowerPoint revolutionised presentations with vastly improved text and graphic slides. It was some years, however, before the speed of computers was sufficient to handle digitised images at sufficient resolution to be acceptable for teaching. The system developed by Dr Davies and Professor Paul Pynsent from 1995, supported by the Birmingham Orthopaedic Charity, was an early and successful answer to that challenge.
The website and apps you can now access are the culmination of over 20 years of sustained effort, supplemented with fascinating historical material from back to the mid twentieth century — including images that predate the formation of the National Health Service.
Timeline
Birth of Dr James Brailsford
Dr James Brailsford (1888–1961)
James Brailsford was born in 1888 and would go on to become arguably the doyen of bone radiology in the early and mid twentieth century. He was appointed radiologist to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham — then known as the Royal Cripples Hospital — and laid the foundations of musculoskeletal imaging in the city.
Brailsford's First Publication
Dr James Brailsford
Between 1919 and 1961, Brailsford published, as sole author, over 125 articles on subjects ranging from First World War bullet injuries (1919) to the eponymous Morquio–Brailsford Syndrome (1929). His was a remarkable record of sustained scholarly output at a time when musculoskeletal radiology was still establishing itself as a discipline.
Morquio–Brailsford Syndrome Described
Dr James Brailsford
Brailsford's most internationally recognised contribution was his independent description of the skeletal dysplasia now known as Morquio–Brailsford Syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis type IV), described simultaneously with Luis Morquio in 1929. The eponym reflects the significance of Brailsford's radiographic characterisation of the condition.
The Radiology of Bones and Joints — First Edition
Dr James Brailsford
Brailsford published the first edition of his definitive textbook, The Radiology of Bones and Joints. The work went to five editions between 1934 and 1953 and was the standard reference text for a generation of radiologists. Many of Brailsford's original radiographs and lantern slides from this era survive to this day and have been incorporated into this educational resource.
Fifth Edition of The Radiology of Bones and Joints
Dr James Brailsford
The fifth and final edition of Brailsford's textbook was published, cementing his legacy as the defining voice in musculoskeletal radiology of his era. Some of the radiographs included in this edition predate the formation of the National Health Service in 1948 and represent some of the oldest images in the MSK Radiology 4U collection.
Dr Philip Jacobs Succeeds Brailsford
Dr Philip Jacobs (1917–2005)
On Brailsford's death in 1961, he was succeeded by Dr Philip Jacobs (1917–2005), another prolific MSK radiologist and scholar. Jacobs continued the Birmingham tradition of academic leadership in musculoskeletal imaging, later publishing an Atlas of Hand Radiographs (1973) and becoming a founding member of the International Skeletal Society in 1972. For some years he served as editor of the society's journal, Skeletal Radiology.
International Skeletal Society Founded
Dr Philip Jacobs
Dr Philip Jacobs was a founding member of the International Skeletal Society, established in 1972 to advance the science and practice of skeletal radiology worldwide. He subsequently served as editor of the society's journal, Skeletal Radiology, further raising Birmingham's international profile in the field.
Dr Mark Davies Appointed — The Teaching Files Inherited
Dr Mark Davies
On his appointment in 1984, Dr Mark Davies inherited the extensive teaching collections of both Brailsford and Jacobs — a remarkable archive housed in six large filing cabinets. Over the years that followed, Dr Davies added numerous further cases, including trauma from his time working at the Birmingham Accident Hospital, Birmingham General Hospital, and Selly Oak Hospital. As imaging technology advanced, cases with CT, MRI, and bone scanning were systematically added to the collection.
The Erasmus Course on MRI Established
The pan-European Erasmus Course on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (www.emricourse.org) was first organised in 1991 to provide uniform, high-quality education in what was then a new and emerging imaging technique. Dr Davies became a regular member of the faculty for the musculoskeletal module in 1993, bringing Birmingham's expertise to an international audience.
Computer-Based Teaching Collection Begins
Dr Mark Davies & Prof Paul Pynsent
In 1995, Dr Davies and Professor Paul Pynsent began developing a computer-based teaching collection of MSK imaging. The project was conceived to support the first five-day Erasmus Course to be held in the Research & Teaching Centre at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham. At the time, the speed of computers was only just becoming sufficient to handle digitised images at a resolution acceptable for teaching.
First Five-Day Erasmus Course, Birmingham
Dr Mark Davies
The first five-day Erasmus Course on musculoskeletal MRI was held at the Research & Teaching Centre, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham. The computer-based teaching system developed by Dr Davies and Professor Pynsent, supported by the Birmingham Orthopaedic Charity, was central to the course. Further Birmingham courses followed in 2003, 2009, and 2015.
Continued Growth and Further Erasmus Courses
Further Erasmus Courses were held in Birmingham in 2003, 2009, and 2015. With each iteration, the teaching collection was expanded, the software refined, and additional contributors brought on board. Supported throughout by the Birmingham Orthopaedic Charity, the system grew steadily in scope and sophistication.
MSK Radiology 4U — The Website and Apps
Dr Mark Davies and the MSK Radiology 4U Team
The website and apps you are now using are the culmination of Dr Davies' and his supporting team's efforts over more than 20 years, supplemented with fascinating historical material stretching back to the mid twentieth century. The collection contains images that predate the NHS, radiographs from Brailsford's own archive, and thousands of modern digital cases — a living record of musculoskeletal radiology in Birmingham and beyond.
The Journey Continues
MSK Radiology 4U continues to grow, with new cases, new contributors, and new technology. The historical archive — stretching from Brailsford's lantern slides to the latest MRI sequences — remains at the heart of everything we do.