Thomas Lauder Carr was born in Aberdeen on 5 September 1918, the son of George Carr, a jeweller, and Agnes, née Lauder. His early education was at Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen before entering Aberdeen University for his medical studies. He qualified in 1942, and after appointments as house physician and house surgeon at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary he entered the Royal Air Force Medical Service in 1943, serving initially as medical officer in Bomber Command and later in the orthopaedic department at RAF Hospital Halton. After demobilisation in 1946 he spent a year as demonstrator of anatomy at Aberdeen University; this was followed by a year as surgical registrar and two years as orthopaedic registrar at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. He passed the FRCS in 1950 and in the following year moved to London as registrar at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. After two years in that appointment he became clinical research assistant at the Institute of Orthopaedics and senior registrar to Sir Herbert Seddon at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, where he became interested in hand surgery and spina bifida. In 1954 he was appointed consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Aberdeen University and two years later submitted a thesis for his Mastership in Surgery degree entitled *The orthopaedic aspects of spina bifida - a study of 100 patients*. After receiving the degree the main aspects of his research were published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal. He remained at Aberdeen until 1983, and although he performed a wide range of orthopaedic procedures his main interest was in hand surgery, especially the treatment of Dupuytren's contracture. He contributed many articles to orthopaedic journals and wrote chapters in orthopaedic textbooks. He married Margaret, née Mutch, a nurse, in 1952 and there was a son and daughter of the marriage. His wife died in 1982 and he subsequently married Easter Watt, his secretary. His chief interest was hill-walking, and he was a member of the Aberdeen Crime Club. He died on 1 September 1993, survived by his second wife, his son Nicholas, and his daughter Elaine, a nurse.