The Care of External Fixation Devices

These devices may allow the fixation and manipulation of multiple bone segments, which would otherwise be very difficult. They involve the use of pins, wires and braces, and are used when other options of immobilisation (such as plaster casts) would be ineffective (Singh 2016; Walker 2012).

Fixation devices can be used in limb length discrepancy surgeries, nerve and tendon repairs, and polytrauma patients with fractures, to name a few incidences. They include circular fixators such as halo thoracic braces, Ilizarov fixators, and unilateral fixators (different from circular fixators as they are only positioned on one side of the limb) (Singh 2016).