A miniature external fixator for the metacarpals and phalanges

Abstract

For some years, external fixators, in which screws or pins project from the fixator (which, as its name suggests, is outside the limb) into parts of a fractured bone to hold them firmly together, have been used successfully to hold fractures in long bones of the arms and legs, and also fractures of the pelvis and jaw [1]. In many instances, this method has advantages compared with Plaster-of-Paris or internal fixation with metal plates or rods.