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Primary External Fixation

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Armed Conflict Injuries to the Extremities

Abstract

Early restoration of skeletal stability is a basic principle of primary orthopedic fracture care. Advantages to using external fixation are preventing future injury to the traumatized soft-tissue envelope, minimal invasive surgical technique, reducing infection risk, minimizing fracture hemorrhage, providing pain control, and facilitating medical evacuation. In the multiply injured patient, early fracture stabilization may have beneficial systemic effects. External fixation using unilateral tubular systems can be applied rapidly and simultaneously with other damage control procedures. This chapter will focus on the general principles and surgical techniques of primary skeletal stabilization using tubular external fixation devices by management of complex combat trauma patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Ziv Medical Center, Str. Rambam 1, 13100, Zefat, Israel

    Alexander Lerner

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Israel Institute of Technology, 9602, Haifa, 31096, Israel

    Nicolas Daniel Reis

  3. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Rambam Medical Center, Haaliyah Street 8, 31096, Haifa, Bat Galim, Israel

    Michael Soudry

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  1. Alexander Lerner
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  2. Nicolas Daniel Reis
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  3. Michael Soudry
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Correspondence to Alexander Lerner .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ziv Medical Center, Str. Rambam 1, Zefat, 13100, Israel

    Alexander Lerner

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Deptartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rambam Medical Center, Haaliyah Street 8, Haifa, 31096, Israel

    Michael Soudry

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Lerner, A., Reis, N.D., Soudry, M. (2011). Primary External Fixation. In: Lerner, A., Soudry, M. (eds) Armed Conflict Injuries to the Extremities. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16155-1_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16155-1_9

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