Biography.guide
Home › People › Physician › Étienne Destot
Portrait of Étienne Destot

Étienne Destot

1864 – 1918

French radiologist, anatomist and accomplished sculptor

Physician RadiologistSculptor
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Étienne Destot

Lived 1864 – 1918 (aged 54). Étienne Destot was a French physician, radiologist and sculptor.

The space in the wrist bounded by the hamate, capitate, triquetral and lunate bones. This place is referred to as a place where the nails of Jesus Christ crucifixion pierced his wrist.

Étienne Destot (1 March 1864 – 3 December 1918) was a French radiologist and anatomist who was a native of Dijon. He studied medicine in Lyon, and later worked in the hospitals of Hôtel Dieu, Croix-Rousse and Charité in Lyon. In addition to his work in medicine, he was an accomplished sculptor.

Destot was a pioneer in the field of radiology. In February 1896, less than two months after Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845–1923) announced his discovery of the X-ray, Destot was making radiographs of patients at the Hôtel-Dieu de Lyon. He made thousands of radiographies, many of which were of patients supplied by surgeon Louis Léopold Ollier (1830–1900). In 1913, due to severe radiation damage to his hands, he was forced to relinquish his position as radiologist.

Destot also made contributions in the field of orthopedics, and in 1911 is credited as being the first physician to use the term pilon in orthopedic literature. He was a medical officer during World War I, and died from illness in Châtillon-sur-Seine in 1918.

His name is included on the Monument to the X-ray and Radium Martyrs of All Nations erected in Hamburg, Germany in 1936.

Associated eponym "Destot's space", also known as "Destot's gap": a space in the wrist bounded by the hamate, capitate, triquetral and lunate bones.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Médaille d'honneur des épidémies
Also known as
Etienne Destot

People in Étienne Destot's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Étienne Destot's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Étienne Destot?

French radiologist, anatomist and accomplished sculptor (1864-1918)

When was Étienne Destot born?

Étienne Destot was born on 1 March 1864 in Dijon.

When did Étienne Destot die?

Étienne Destot died on 3 December 1918 in Châtillon-sur-Seine.

What was Étienne Destot's occupation?

Étienne Destot was a physician, radiologist and sculptor.

What nationality was Étienne Destot?

Étienne Destot was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Étienne Destot

· Wikidata: Q3592135

· DBpedia: Étienne Destot

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Étienne Destot. https://biography.guide/etienne-destot/

MLA: "Étienne Destot." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/etienne-destot/.

Chicago: "Étienne Destot." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/etienne-destot/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 04:59 UTC