Silvanus Mottram Milner was born on 21 January 1901 at Salford, the son of Edmund T Milner, honorary consultant surgeon at Salford Royal Hospital, and his wife, Emma, née Chandley. During his early childhood his father suffered a stroke, relinquished his hospital appointment and moved with his family to the Isle of Man. He was educated at King William's College in the Isle of Man and at Rugby School before studying medicine at King's College, Cambridge, and Manchester Medical School. He qualified in 1924 and came under the influence of Sir Harry Platt who inspired an interest in orthopaedic surgery during his early postgraduate years. He passed the Fellowship three years after qualifying and, after junior appointments at Salford Royal Hospital and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Great Portland Street, was elected to the honorary staff as orthopaedic surgeon to Bolton Infirmary, Hope Hospital, Patricroft Hospital, Eccles and Marple Children's Hospital. In addition to a heavy workload he conducted a rehabilitation service for the National Union of Mineworkers and participated in meetings of the surgical section of the Manchester Medical Society of which he became President. He retired in 1964 and moved to Harbledown, near Canterbury, where he was able to pursue his interests of bee-keeping, gardening and silverwork. He married Barbara Woodd Walker, sister of G B Woodd Walker FRCS in 1933 and they had a son, Nigel, and a daughter, Clare. He died on 19 April 1984, aged 83.