Advances in the treatment of trauma.

severe leg injuries involving comminuted fractures, vascular damage and extensive skin loss. Here results have been significantly improved by the cooperative work of several departments: the orthopaedic surgeon applies the Belfast fixator made in Mackie's foundry, the vascular surgeon inserts an arterial shunt followed by repair of the damaged vessels, and the plastic surgeon completes the work by transferring a free skin flap with microsurgical suturing of arteries and veins. Not only is this inter-specialty collaboration operatively efficient much of the work has been innovative.