The Saviour of Limbs

Born on 24 December 1954 in Chennai, Mayil Vahanan Natarajan grew up in the shadow of a distinguished orthopaedic tradition. His father, Dr. Mahalinga Moorthy Natarajan, had served for nineteen years as Professor of Orthopaedics at Madras Medical College. Following that path, the young doctor completed his MBBS, D.Ortho and MS Ortho from Madras University, then earned an M.Ch. in Trauma from the University of Liverpool. A Ph.D. in Orthopaedic Oncology and further fellowships, including FRCS (England), completed his formal training.

In 1988 he introduced limb-salvage surgery using custom mega prostheses in India—replacing the traditional amputation for patients with bone tumours. Over the decades he performed more than 2,300 such surgeries, the largest single-surgeon series in the world, and designed and patented eight types of custom mega prostheses. He established Orthopaedic Oncology as a recognised sub-specialty in the country and served as Director of the Institute of Orthopaedic and Traumatology at Madras Medical College and Government General Hospital.

He went on to become the 7th Vice-Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, where he strengthened postgraduate training and inter-disciplinary research. Internationally he was the first Indian to serve as President of the Asia Pacific Musculoskeletal Tumour Society and received honorary fellowships from the British Orthopaedic Association and the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Recognition came steadily: the Dr. B.C. Roy National Award in 2004, the National Award for Welfare of the Disabled in 2005, and the Padma Shri in 2007—all conferred by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Married to Thenmozhi Natarajan, he continues as Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Oncosurgeon at Apollo Cancer Centres in Chennai.

In operating theatres where cancerous bone is removed and a custom-made prosthesis restores the limb, the quiet work of Prof. Mayil Vahanan Natarajan continues. Thousands who once faced amputation now walk, work and live with dignity—his enduring gift to patients across India and beyond.