RESULTS OF THE APLICATION OF EXTERNAL FIXATION WITH OPEN LOWER-LEG FRACTURE.

Open lower-leg fractures are usually associated with broken skin and soft tissue damages. The main aim is to establish results of surgical medical treatment of open fractures with external fixation. The patients with open lower-leg fraction were immediately after the admission to hospital primarily surgically treated and then underwent the blood reposition and external fixation. External fixation was applied from 4 to 8 weeks and after it was taken off, a PTB cast was applied until the fracture healed. 56 (45,16%) patients with open lower-leg fracture, out of total 124 injured were treated in this way. After a four-month treatment, we had 8 (14,29%) pseudoarthroses (false joints) of the lower- leg and 48 (85,71%) regularly healed fractures which was established clinically and radiologically. Pseudoarthroses were treated with surgical osteotomy of fibula and then with application of PTB cast, after that were healed regularly. After rehabilitation, all patients had a satisfactory function of knee and ankle joint -- movement amplitudes were within the optimum value limits. Based on results of medical treatment of open lower-leg fractures in a described way, the same may be recommended as a standard one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]