Manufacturers are now producing components made of radiolucent material, but these are expensive. and may not be available to all surgeons. We have used panoramic radiography products (Kodak Dental Products Catalog and Reference Guide 199 1). as used by dental surgeons for the mandible, to image fractures in some forms of external fixation (Fig. Ib). The range of products includes small films a...

BACKGROUND There are no established guidelines for the surgical prep of an external fixator in the operative field. This study investigates the effectiveness of different prep solutions and methods of application. METHODS Forty external fixator constructs, consisting of a rod, pin, and pin to rod coupling device, were immersed in a broth of Staphylococcus aureus (lux) for 12 hours. Constructs...

"Wolff's law" is widely known in orthopaedics. For example, it is often said that load bearing devices, such as joint replacement prostheses or external fixators, cause bone to adapt according to Wolff's law. In this article, the scientific basis for Wolff's law is described in the light of recently developed biomechanical theories of bone behaviour.

The operative elongation of limbs has long been a goal of orthopaedic surgeons. Indeed, the very first external skeletal fixators, although designed for stabilization of displaced fractures, were also used to overcome the posttrauma shortening that so commonly accompanies fracture deformities.

Lengthening the femur with an external fixator is commonly practised for a wide variety of pathologies. This technical report includes tips derived from observation and experience in a busy limb reconstruction unit. It focuses on the use of a rail fixator, although some of the descriptions are applicable to lengthening by circular fixators.

The outcome of rehabilitation after multiple bone fractures can be improved, and the reduction of the rate of amputation due to severe trauma can be achieved with the early use of external fixators [1, 2]. Effectiveness of the fixator depends on the stability of the bone fragments during the evacuation of a patient to specialized facilities [3, 4]. The paper is devoted to the mathematical model...

Patients infected with HIV presenting with an open fracture of a long bone are difficult to manage. There is an unacceptably high rate of post-operative infection after internal fixation. There are no published data on the use of external fixation in such patients. We compared the rates of pin-track infection in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients presenting with an open fracture. There were...

This study aims to: Understand the psychosocial repercussions of use external fixators in car accident victims. is a descriptive and qualitative study, carried out with 14 patients monitored at trauma-orthopedics outpatient clinic public hospital, through semi-structured interviews. In evaluating data, we opted for content analysis, cross-sectional thematic modality. From codification testimoni...