Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
Ho·mans' sign Pronunciation:
'hO-m&nz- Function:
noun : pain in the calf of the leg upon dorsiflexion of the foot with the legextended that is diagnostic of thrombosis in the deep veins of the area
Homans, John (1877–1954), American surgeon. Homans was a pioneer in the study of the pancreas. Hisinvestigations helped to pave the way for the discovery of insulin as a treatment for diabetes. He also devised an operation for the excision of ulcers in 1929 and wrote a treatise on circulatorydiseases of the extremities in 1939. He described Homans' sign in 1941.
