title: Overdesign of external fixation systems.
abstract: This article reviews 850 cases of open fractures of the extremities caused by high velocity missiles and shell fragments, and treated by two varieties of external fixation devices. If a protocol for grading the severity of injury is followed, the results encourage avoiding sophisticated, expensive, and overdesigned external fixation systems.
authors.affiliation: Al-Rasheed Military Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Habboushe
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D016267:External Fixators; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000150:complications