ABSTRACT
External fixation is a minimally invasive technique by which
transfixing pins inserted into the bone are attached to a rigid
external frame as a method of stabilization of fractures and
joints. Reduction of fractures is accomplished by indirect
means (closed reduction) and maintained by distraction and
ligamentotaxis. Since the first description of an external claw-
type device for the treatment of a patella fracture by
Malgaigne in 1853, external fixation has evolved to be an
accepted and versatile treatment option for open long bone
fractures and periarticular fractures of the lower extremity. In
the upper extremity, external fixators are used for bony injuries
proximal to the carpus (1). Significant technical advancements
were made to external fixation systems in the 1960s that
permitted correction of deformities in three planes. While
this allowed for placement of transfixing pins prior to fracture
reduction and for adjustments after initial applications, these
systems were too large for practical use in the metacarpals
and phalanges.
