External fixation in war trauma management of the extremities--experience from the war in Croatia

During 18 months, the authors treated 109 wounded patients whose complicated gunshot fractures were externally fixated. The total of 116 external fixators were applied. Besides bone fractures, blood vessels, nerve, and soft-tissue injuries required additional reconstructive procedures. The most freq...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	The journal of trauma Vol. 37; no. 5; p. 831
Main Authors:	Dubravko, H, Zarko, R, Tomislav, T, Dragutin, K, Vjenceslav, N
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States 01-11-1994
Subjects:	Croatia External Fixators Extremities - injuries Fracture Fixation - adverse effects Fracture Fixation - methods Fractures, Bone - complications Fractures, Bone - therapy Humans Warfare Wounds, Gunshot - surgery Croatia
Online Access:	Get more information
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	During 18 months, the authors treated 109 wounded patients whose complicated gunshot fractures were externally fixated. The total of 116 external fixators were applied. Besides bone fractures, blood vessels, nerve, and soft-tissue injuries required additional reconstructive procedures. The most frequent complications were infection of the tissue surrounding pins (35.34%), osteomalacia around the pins (18.10%) and osteomyelitis (7.70%). In 25 patients (21.55%) the external fixation was removed after the treatment of fractures. In eight wounded patients (6.89%) surgery had to be repeated to correct the inadequate position of bone fragments.
ISSN:	0022-5282
DOI:	10.1097/00005373-199411000-00021