Henri Bensahel, MD
1928 - 2009
Henri Bensahel, senior member of POSNA, passed away on January 25, 2009 in Paris. Professor Bensahel was born in Casablanca in Morocco and trained in Paris, first in general and pediatric surgery and then in orthopaedic surgery and pediatric orthopaedics.
In practice in Paris, he was Department Chief at the Bretonneau Childrens University Hospital then at Robert Debre Childrens Hospital at its founding in 1988.
He began the European Pediatric Orthopaedic Society (EPOS) in 1981 and the International Federation of Paediatric Orthopaedic Societies (IFPOS) in 1996. He was the founding editor for the European volume of the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics (JPO-B) and the more recent Journal of Childrens Orthopaedics (JCO).
Professor Bensahel will be remembered as a man who brought pediatric orthopaedists together, particularly across national borders. Kaye Wilkens described him as “the consummate peace maker”. He took tremendous pride in his care of patients and education of pediatric orthopaedists. Among his many achievements, he helped to develop and refine the non-operative French functional therapy program for clubfeet, and was the creator and chairman of the International Clubfoot Study Group. Professor Bensahel will be greatly missed by many of us who had the opportunity to know him.
