The History of the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute
The Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute in Bologna is one of the most historic and influential centres in orthopaedic surgery. Founded in 1896, its history is deeply intertwined with the development of orthopaedics as a modern surgical discipline.
The institute occupies the historic San Michele in Bosco monastery, a complex whose origins date back to the 4th century, later rebuilt by Olivetan monks in the 14th century and enriched by Renaissance artists such as Giorgio Vasari, Ludovico Carracci, and Guido Reni.
Francesco Rizzoli (1809–1880) – The Visionary Founder
The institute was made possible by Francesco Rizzoli, a renowned surgeon from Bologna who purchased the monastery and donated it to the city with the vision of creating a hospital dedicated to orthopaedic surgery.
Rizzoli believed that musculoskeletal disorders deserved their own specialised field of medicine. He designed surgical instruments and pioneered treatments for deformities, fractures, and joint ankylosis—anticipating the future development of orthopaedics as an independent discipline.
Alessandro Codivilla (1861–1912) – The Father of Italian Orthopaedics
When the institute opened in 1896, leadership was eventually entrusted to Alessandro Codivilla, widely regarded as the founder of modern orthopaedic surgery in Italy.
Codivilla revolutionised the field by bringing musculoskeletal diseases into the operating theatre. His innovations included:
- Direct skeletal traction (1902) for treating deformities and fractures
- Early surgical treatments for clubfoot and congenital deformities
- Advances in tendon transfers and limb deformity correction
Under Codivilla, the Rizzoli Institute rapidly gained international recognition, attracting patients from across Europe and South America.
Vittorio Putti (1880–1940) – The Global Expansion
Codivilla’s student Vittorio Putti succeeded him and transformed Rizzoli into one of the world’s most influential orthopaedic centres.
Putti expanded the institute’s reputation through:
- Major innovations in hip dysplasia, limb lengthening, and deformity correction
- Establishing international collaborations across Europe and the Americas
- Founding the Rizzoli Workshop (1914) for orthopaedic devices
- Creating the Codivilla Heliotherapy Institute in the Alps for rehabilitation
His influence was so profound that contemporaries described Rizzoli as the “Mecca of Orthopaedics.”
A Modern Centre of Orthopaedic Excellence
Throughout the 20th century, the institute continued to lead advances in orthopaedic science, adopting innovations such as hip arthroplasty and modern fracture fixation techniques.
Today, the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute remains one of the world’s leading orthopaedic centres:
- 327 beds and 154 physicians
- More than 12,000 surgeries annually
- Over 115,000 outpatient visits each year
- Around 300 scientific publications annually from its research laboratories.
The institute is recognised internationally for its work in sports medicine, musculoskeletal oncology, regenerative medicine, and orthopaedic biomechanics, continuing a tradition of innovation that began more than a century ago.
A Temple of Orthopaedics
For generations of surgeons, the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute has represented a unique combination of history, scientific discovery, and surgical innovation.
More than a hospital, it remains a place where the foundations of modern orthopaedics were built—and where the next advances continue to emerge.