[Treatment of open leg fractures by double frame external fixation]

The authors review 36 cases of compound fractures of the tibia of type II and III (Cauchoix Classification). The treatment used was: 1. Careful cleansing of the sound. 2. The use of an external fixation (Hoffmann) as a double frame. 3. Continous irrigation. The authors stress that initial reduction should be accurate and that stability can be obtained by compression. Additional treatment was often needed, dependent on the stage of skin healing and the state of bone union. For the skin, Davis grafts or cross-leg flaps were used. For bone union, tibio-fibular grafts or reinforcing cancellous bone grafts (Papineau's technique) were used.