Ilizarov fixation

Professor Gavanit Ilizarov, a Russian, was practising medicine in Siberia and although not trained as a surgeon he was becoming increasingly faced with orthopaedic problems. As he had no means of treating many of these, he devised his own system based on Kurstner wires and rings but using bicycle spokes and modified clutch rings. This was in 1951. He continued to make modifications over the years and, as the system has been introduced to the rest of the world, others, too, have added their own adaptations. There are now 42 components which go to make up the Ilizarov system. By using various combinations of these components it is possible to build a frame to treat a variety of orthopaedic problems i.e. deformities, non-unions and limb lengthening.