[External fixators combined with other methods]

Problems in the treatment of injured persons, especially if lesions of larger organs or organ systems exist, are great. Each method of treatment has some deficiency respectively dark side. In such cases a combination of methods of treatment is a necessity and a rule. In combining various methods, special care must be taken to cover these deficiencies up resp. to improve the methods. Regarding the fact that the method of external fixation has in its indications for treatment numerous combinations, it is also more easily combined with other surgical methods. It proved successful in combinations such as: minimal osteosyntheses acc. to the AO method, additional immobilization in unstable osteosyntheses, in covering of extensive skin defects and soft parts with cross-leg and free grafts, in temporary osteosynthesis in extensive bone defects, in large diastases of public bones and lesion of the posterior urethra, in polytrauma for temporary bone immobilisation, in bone fractures and "compartment syndrome". The analysis of 38 cases shows that our decision was correct, since no unfavourable results were obtained.