Our experience in 542 cases of emergecy internal skeletal fixation in open fractures

The emergency solid internal skeletal fixation of open fratures permits: a careful surgical cleaning of exposure focus that lessens the bacterial pollution and growth, if it is accomplished in the first hours after trauma; early treatment of vessels, nerves, muscles, tendos and skin lesions; early patient mobilisation to prevent complications given by prolonged allurement and to avoid the long re-education periods following cast withdrawal; shortening of hospital stay with a quicker patients turnover. The instrumentation employed in internal fixation is: A.O. plates, Kuntcher nail, Steimann and Hoberholzer endomedullary nails.