Richard Porter

Professor Richard William Porter (Born::February 16, 1935 – Died::July 20, 2005) was a world leader in spinal research and osteoporosis, and a staunch biblical creationist. His obituary in the British Medical Journal stated:


 * Professor Richard Porter was a highly influential spinal surgeon, with widespread interests beyond.


 * The first Sir Harry Platt professor of orthopaedic surgery at Aberdeen University, he held honorary professorships in China and eastern Europe. He was highly innovative and devised several new orthopaedic procedures. The publisher of many books and over 100 peer-reviewed articles, his major research interests were in spine and osteoporosis research. He won international prizes for this work, including the first Volvo Award in 1979 for work on spinal stenosis. He developed commercial machines to measure osteoporosis in old people and pioneered new ways of treating club foot in children. His theories on the causes of scoliosis are receiving increasing acceptance. He was the subject of three television programmes, including the BBC documentary Your Life in their Hands.

The obituary also noted his strong Christian faith and support for overseas doctors and refugees. In an interview with Creation magazine in 2002, Dr. Porter explained both his strong biblical creationist views, and explained some of the remarkable design features of the human spine, refuting evolutionary views.

Prof. Porter was married to Christine for over 40 years, and they had four sons and 11 grandchildren.