title: Complications of ring fixators in the foot and ankle.
abstract: The current review reports the author's 12-year experience with the Ilizarov ring external fixator for the treatment of foot and ankle disorders. The complications caused by the use of this apparatus also will be presented. In the beginning, the complications were attributable to inexperience and the lack of literature available at that time (1987); afterward, the complications were attributable to excess of confidence and the belief that the external fixator could be the universal solution for all patients. The current review has two main purposes: to show the more frequent complications that arise during the use of the external fixators, and to present methods on how to prevent the complications and how to manage them once they occur. The majority of complications presented in the current review are related directly to the use of the external fixator. These complications could be called minor complications that frequently are seen during treatment. However, there are major complications that can be avoided with adequate application and control of the external fixator during treatment.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Mãe de Deus, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Slomka
mesh_terms: D000843:Ankle Joint; D004867:Equipment Design; D016267:External Fixators / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005529:Foot Bones; D006801:Humans; D018889:Ilizarov Technique / Q000009:adverse effects; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology