Abstract
Walter Putnam Blount was a thoughtful clinician, inventive surgeon, and careful observer of growth and deformity in children. His work ranged widely, from the mechanics of osteotomy and internal fixation to the nonoperative management of scoliosis. He combined an intense curiosity with intellectual honesty. Through innovations such as epiphyseal stapling for guided growth and the development of the Milwaukee brace for scoliosis, Blount helped reshape the treatment of deformity in growing children. At the same time, his teaching, writing, and international collaborations placed him among the early leaders of modern pediatric orthopaedics and spine deformity surgery.