Thinking outside of the box

Advancements in the fields of traumatology and medicine are made based on sound research and scientific methodology. Today, those with novel ideas and innovations pave the path towards better patient healthcare. This in turn translates to lesser morbidity and mortality, shorter hospital stay and less lost work days for the patient. In order for scientists and clinicians to be creative they must be able to keep an open mind and be able to contemplate and concentrate on their work. They must endeavor patiently and persevere relentlessly. Many renowned pioneers of modern medicine such as Ramon Cajal, Marie Curie and Louis Pasteur among others had such qualities; they patiently pursued a flawless methodology which eventually led to success (1-3). Although their work was tedious, and in essence, trial and error, the aforementioned characteristics were the elements that led to fruitful research and new discoveries. In order for a scientist's work to reach fruition there must exist an open atmosphere, a calm setting for contemplation, a lab for experimentation, a motivation for research and a place for relaxation. The researcher must be free to explore methods and techniques outside the textbook routine. Moreover, research is costly and thus requires financial support. Although thinking outside of the box and modifying and/or changing the established academic routine may not be a problem in the basic sciences, however, in the fields of clinical medicine or life sciences this is often not the case. Clinical research requires adherence to international laws, rules and regulations relative to medical ethics, human rights and informed patient consent. Cli-nicians cannot stray from current treatment guidelines in their practice despite the patients' consent to undergo experimentation. New drugs, instruments, treatment modals and techniques cannot be implemented until they have been thoroughly assessed and backed by in vivo and in vitro animal studies and final FDA approval. These are standard prerequisites for coining a new technique , new treatment modality or a wonder drug. Keeping an open mind entices creativity; new concepts and research; ideas may then come right out-of-the-blue. Numerous scientists had undoubtedly seen a ripened apple fall from a tree before Sir Isaac Newton (1642 –1727) did (4); however it was he the English physicist, mathematician , astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who sought the cause and later coined the laws of gravity. The famous French surgeon René Le Fort (1869-1951), derived his classic classification of facial fracture patterns …