WHEN Dr R.E. Christopher Rose reflects on his journey, he describes it simply: “The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.”

For one of the founders of the Caribbean Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (TCOS) that “something” has been a lifelong commitment to service, mentorship, and advancing the practice of orthopaedics in the region.

Born in Grenada as the third of five children, Dr Rose was raised in a modest household in which discipline and education were paramount.

“From an early age my mother instilled in us the need for a good education. We were taught to be respectful to adults, to be honest, to always do our best, and to apologise when we were wrong. I vividly remember the scoldings we received from my mother when we misbehaved. These scoldings occurred at breakfast, lunch, and dinner when deemed necessary by her,” he recalls.

Though quiet and reserved, he thrived in academics and sports, including the 100 yards dash at his school’s sports days and the Cadet Corps in which he ranked sergeant major.

School holidays were spent climbing fruit trees on the estate where his father worked, memories punctuated by the infamous “wash out” with castor oil before school resumed. It was his older brother’s decision to study medicine at The University of the West Indies (UWI) that inspired Rose to pursue the same as his studies of choice.

At The UWI Mona, Dr Rose encountered the late Professor Sir John Golding, who would shape his career.

“I was fascinated by the impact that this broad surgical specialty had on the lives of people of all ages and lifestyles, who required treatment for their musculoskeletal conditions,” he recalls of his introduction to orthopaedics.

His training later took him to Canada, where he earned the Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Canada in 1983, and then to Italy in 1996 for a fellowship in limb lengthening and deformity correction.

Returning to Jamaica in 1984, he found just seven orthopaedic surgeons serving the island’s 2.6 million people. In 1991 he created and, with the help of a few colleagues, implemented the Post-Graduate Orthopaedic Training Programme at The UWI, Mona.

“To date, the programme has produced 48 orthopaedic surgeons, 38 of whom reside and practice in Jamaica. The others live in and serve the Caribbean region,” he said.

Introducing limb lengthening and reconstruction surgery was another milestone.

“Before, young males with chronic, infected limbs from poorer communities were inadequately treated, and some faced amputation. Through techniques pioneered in Russia, and with support from the John Greaves Foundation, many functional limbs were restored with no cost for the equipment,” he added.

Dr Rose has always had a Caribbean perspective.

“As Caribbean people, we have always tended to look to North America, rather than looking inwards and trying to harness and develop the talents that are in the Caribbean. It was and still is my belief that orthopaedic surgeons in the Caribbean should be more aware of the challenges that confront each of us in our respective territories, and to offer technical support and guidance when needed to our colleagues who work in environments with limited resources,” he charges.

That vision inspired him to act. “In 2005, I took the bold step of inviting 23 orthopaedic surgeons from eight English-speaking Caribbean territories to get together for a lyme in Trinidad and Tobago. This lyme eventually led to the birth of TCOS in 2007. I was elected its first president.”

The Caribbean Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons is now recognised regionally and internationally. It has evolved to become the premier vehicle for the dissemination of orthopaedic knowledge in the English-speaking Caribbean.

“Our annual scientific meetings showcase the excellent surgical competence of local surgeons in the treatment of challenging cases, utilising sometimes limited resources,” Dr Rose said.

As TCOS marks 20 years, Dr Rose is optimistic about the next chapter: “Our association is the perfect milieu for nurturing young surgeons. The pooling of our talents under TCOS will have a significant impact on the growth and development of orthopaedics in the region.”