External Compound Fracture

External fixation is a surgical method of immobilizing bones to allow a fracture to heal properly.

External compound fracture. It is used to provide stability to bone and soft tissue after a serious break but can also be applied as a procedure to correct bone misalignment restore limb length or protect soft tissue after a serious burn or injury. The external fixation is maintained until the open wound heals and is removed at the time of permanent fixation surgery. In this operation the doctor inserts metal screws or pins into the bone above and below the fracture site. Because they are easily applied external fixators are often put on when a patient has multiple injuries and is not yet ready for a longer surgery to fix the fracture.

A bone fracture abbreviated frx or fx f x or is a medical condition in which there is a partial or complete break in the continuity of the bone in more severe cases the bone may be broken into several pieces. Ring fixation with illizarov s technique is used for compound fractures with bone loss or extreme instability where apart from wound healing there is also the need for bone lengthening. Sometimes an external frame external fixator is attached to the broken bones with metal pins to help keep them in place. This is removed once the fracture has healed.

Most severe open fractures are first stabilized with external fixation. External fixation is usually a temporary treatment for femur fractures.