The Fragment Fixation System in Intra-articular and Periarticular Fractures

Abstract

In 1969 a group of well-known surgeons, all members of the AO, produced a manual of osteosynthetic techniques (Müller et al 1969). For the first time they attempted to standardize fragment fixation based on biomechanical information derived from cadaver and animal experiments as well as clinical data. In the preceding century various techniques had been used and every surgeon had his preferred method — many of which worked very successfully. Nevertheless, it is to the credit of the AO group that they collected a great deal of information on fracture treatment and healing and then summarized their experiences in a technical manual. Even today, however, secure fixation of bony fragments remains a point of discussion. The reason for that is the fact that no single method of fixation can solve every problem and many different methods are available to solve the same problem, each having their own advantages and disadvantages in a given fracture situation.