[Indication and use of the fixateur externe in childhood].
The use of the fixateur externe in childhood is an indispensable extension of all measures taken by the paediatric traumatologist to preserve the skeletal system. In recent decades external fixations by means of Kirschner wires in association with plaster casts or in the Küntscher distractor had become necessary on account of increasing severity of the injuries to the extremities. Now a reduction in size and weight as well as multidimensional applicability in conjunction with microsurgical vascular reconstructions and neurovascular grafting of soft parts have increased the indications and considerably improved the results achieved. The article demonstrates by means of own examples how the indication for internal and external stabilisation must be weighed, taking into consideration the special features of the growing skeleton, the age, the type of injury, the localisation and extension of the injury. Choosing a particular type of osteosynthesis does not necessarily exclude transition to another type. The type of fixateur externe described here (Hoffmann) represents just one possibility of a system which is possible in principle.
D000293:Adolescent; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005360:Fibula / Q000293:injuries; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005597:Fractures, Open / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000601:surgery; D011542:Pseudarthrosis / Q000601:surgery; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D014458:Ulna Fractures / Q000601:surgery
Indikation und Anwendung des Fixateur externe im Kindesalter.