[Experience with the treatment of open fractures]

The number of the injuries and of the open fractures is steadily increasing. These latter are regularly due to traffic accidents. Characteristics of the open fractures are the extended lesion of the soft parts and the piece-like fractures. The treatmend depends on the patient's general state, the extension of the lesion of the soft parts, the contamination and the infection of the wound, as well as on the localization and the type of the fracture. In the case of proper indication the osteosynthesis yields satisfactory results, but it is not always to be performed and its use to exposed to dangers. The conservative treatment assures good results, if the lesion of the soft parts is minimal, the reduction of the dislocation is easily accoplished and the bone ends are to be held together. On the other hand, the method is unsuitable, if extended lesion of the soft parts occurs, as well as in the treatment of multifragmental fractures. In this group of the open fractures we must try to find other, new methods.