Forty patients with intertrochanteric fractures of the femur were treated by external fixation between July 1992 and April 1994. They were selected because of their high surgical risk, and evaluated by radiographs immediately after operation, and at 30 and 90 days. The results indicate that external fixation is a useful method of treatment for this type of patient.

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Two cases of spiral fracture of the humerus, which occurred during arm wrestling, are reported. The possible mechanism is discussed.

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In this work an epidemiological analysis on tibial shaft fractures was performed. During four years, our service treated 179 fractures, 132 in male, 47 in female, aged 14 to 83 years. The 21 to 30-year-old patiens were the more injured. Of these, 120 were open and 59 close fractures of which prevailing cause was road traffic accident. The study based on patients promptuaries analyses and radiographs. The fractures occurred 97 times in the middle third (54.18%); 102 times (56.98%) presented simple fragments, and 57 (31.38%) oblique lines. We treated close and open fractures, respectively, 48 and 38 cases with plaster cast immobilization; 3 and 67 with external fixation after plaster cast immobilization; 5 and 12 with osteosynthesis by means of plate and screws, and 2 and 3 with external fixation only. In both close and open fractures, respectively, 7 and 20 cases of pseudarthrosis and 1 and 11 of infections have occurred. With the data obtained we verified an actual validity of the epidemiological studies as a contribution for better identifying lesions features and their treatment and complications. This allows proceedings and apprenticeship refinement.