Abstract
The terms Köhler's teardrop, Köhler disease I and Köhler disease II are known to almost all orthopaedic surgeons and radiologists. However, little is known about this prominent personality of the German and world radiology, who described these structure or diseases.
Alban Köhler (1874-1947) was one of the first German speaking pioneers in the emerging discipline - radiology, particularly radiology of bones and joints. He introduced new radiological techniques, such as "Teleröntgengraphie" or grid therapy, and published a number of outstanding studies focused primarily on the musculoskeletal apparatus, as well as on pulmonary tuberculosis, cardiac radiology.
The most famous Köhler's publication "Lexikon der Grenzen des Normalen und der Anfänge des Pathologischen im Röntgenbilde" (The borderlands of the normal and early pathological in the skiagrams) was published for the first time in 1910. After Köhler's death, 9th edition of the book at that time already recognized worldwide, was initiated by Professor Emil Alfred Zimmer in 1953.
Until a slightly changed title "Grenzen des Normalen und Anfänge des Pathologischen im Röntgenbilde des Skeletts" it is published until today, both in German and English.