External fixation is a surgical treatment in which pins and wires are inserted into bone and then exit the body to be attached to an external apparatus of rings and threaded rods, such as the Ilizarov apparatus, the Taylor Spatial Frame or the Octopod External Fixator, which immobilizes the damaged limb to allow it to heal. As an alternative to internal fixation, in which stabilizing mechanical components are surgically placed inside the patient's body, external fixation stabilizes bone and soft tissue from outside the body, at a distance from the site of injury.
Facts
FAQs
Is external fixation only a temporary measure?
It can be provisional or definitive fixation; StatPearls says it can serve either purpose.
Not necessarily. StatPearls, the NIH National Library of Medicine's clinical reference, states that the primary goal of external fixation is to maintain the length, alignment, and rotation of the fracture, and that it can serve as provisional fixation or definitive fixation purposes. It adds that both methods can be performed in conjunction with partial internal fixation if necessary. Which role a frame plays in a given case is a decision for the treating surgeon.
Is there a proven best way to care for the pin sites?
StatPearls reports no conclusive data that one pin site care method is superior.
StatPearls reports that pin site care is essential to reduce infection rates but the technique of which varies considerably, and that there have not been conclusive data to support that one approach is superior to another. It also cites a 2015 systematic review that concluded there remains no literature consensus regarding a universal protocol that can reliably and reproducably eradicate the risk of pin site infection. This entry records what that source reports and is not medical advice.
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
External fixation (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_fixation, lead sectionQuote, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_fixation, lead section
External fixation is a surgical treatment wherein Kirschner pins and wires are inserted and affixed into bone and then exit the body to be attached to an external apparatus composed of rings and threaded rods - the Ilizarov apparatus, the Taylor Spatial Frame, and the Octopod External Fixator - which immobilises the damaged limb to facilitate healing.
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