External fixator

External fixator in the case of a plate-shaped radius fracture

An Ilizarov Ring Fixator (IEF)

An external fixator (French: “outer retainer”) is a holding system for broken bones that is attached to the skin.

principle

Pins are anchored in the bone and, after repositioning (setting up the bone fracture), firmly connected with metal or carbon rods. It is a method for closed bone fracture treatment, first described by Bernhard von Langenbeck in 1855 . This method has the advantage over other methods that the fracture does not have to be exposed.

Indications

open fractures with soft tissue damage
Comminuted fractures
Dislocations (elbows, knees)
Arthrodesis , e.g. B. on the knee joint as a cross-joint fixator external.
Cervical spine fractures ( halo fixator )
Callus distraction , possibly with segment transport

Complications

One possible complication is infection of the soft tissues and the drill canals.

Manufacturer

Orthofix : TrueLok Hex (TrueLok Hexapod System) (upper extremity), Galaxy Fixation System (lower extremity)
Smith & Nephew : Taylor Spatial Frame (TSF) Hexapod Ring Fixator, JET-X
Stryker Corporation : Hoffmann II MRI External Fixation System
Tasarimmed (Turkey) / straightBONE (Germany, Austria, Switzerland): Spider Frame-FIX (Hexapod System), Ili-FIX (ring fixator according to Ilisarow), Train-FIX (unilateral fixator), Elbow-FIX (elbow movement fixator)
Vast Ortho (India), Litos (Germany): Ilizarow ring fixator (IEF)

Web links

DocCheck: external fixator .

Individual evidence

^ W. Mutschler: The osteosynthesis with the external fixator: Basics, indication, technology in: Eugen H. Kuner (Ed.): Compendium for the AO basic course , 3rd edition, Georg-Thieme-Verlag Stuttgart 1996, p. 194– 205, ISBN 3-13-136503-X
↑ Christoph Weißer: On the quality of medical history articles in recent clinical journals. Critical remarks using the example of the history of trauma surgery. In: Würzburger medical historical reports 23, 2004, pp. 436–445; here: p. 438 f.

[1] W. Mutschler: The osteosynthesis with the external fixator: Basics, indication, technology in: Eugen H. Kuner (Ed.): Compendium for the AO basic course , 3rd edition, Georg-Thieme-Verlag Stuttgart 1996, p. 194– 205, ISBN 3-13-136503-X

[2] Christoph Weißer: On the quality of medical history articles in recent clinical journals. Critical remarks using the example of the history of trauma surgery. In: Würzburger medical historical reports 23, 2004, pp. 436–445; here: p. 438 f.