Francis Xavier Keane

Francis Xavier Keane was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1935. He graduated from University College Dublin in 1961.

From an early age Dr. Keane demonstrated a strong interest in a diversity of engineering related activities such as model making and boat building. At the age of 14, he was given a lathe and proceeded to put together a comprehensive workshop to indulge his interests. It was during his time as a medical student that his inventive flair was noted and he was advised by his Professors to specialise in rehabilitation medicine. On completion of his internship he joined the National Medical Rehabilitation Centre and as a preparation for his career in rehabilitation he went to study under Professors Hepp and Kuhn at the 0rthopaedic Clinic, Hufferstiftung, Munster, Germany. From there he went on to study at the 0rthopaedic Clinic in Heidelberg and subsequently to Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton, London and to the University of New York and UCLA. 0n his return to Ireland National Prosthetic Service and Workshops were established under his direction.

Once the Prosthetic service was functioning Dr. Keane devoted his attention to the greater problems associated with spinal injury and as a result of his research developed an automatic turning frame for the treatment of spinal injury : to this frame he gave the name R0T0 REST which has now become the state of the art treatment for Spinal Injury and Multiple Trauma.
It was during his work with spinal injury that Dr. Keane made the observation that sacral decubiti healed on the turning bed. This observation prompted further research, the result of which was the establishment of a Minimum Physiological Mobility Requirement (M.P.M.R.) for a person supported on a soft surface. He etablished this to be : one gross postural movement on average every 11.6 minutes. Dr. Keane hypothesised that the only cause of decubiti is an unphysiological degree of immobility on the part of a patient and that the correct treatment therefore is to restore the patients Minimum Physiological Mobility requirement. He Proved this Principle by treating 50 patients with a total of 211 decubiti and a variety of diseases and complications. This original work became the basis of his M. D. thesis.
Dr. Keane's work is the most comprehensive study ever undertaken by a doctor on the subject of decubitus ; he is considered one of the worlds leading authorities on the subject. He is the father of Kinetic Therapy.