The effect of long‐term care and follow‐up on complications in patients with external fixators

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the effect of long-term care and follow-up on complications in patients with external fixators. This study was conducted as a study research. The study sample included a total of 60 patients treated with external fixators for fractures, of whom 30 were in the control and 30 were in the study group. No intervention was made on the control group patients. The patients in the study group received external fixator pin site wound care, pin site massage and neurovascular follow-up. The study group patients were also given discharge training about external fixator pin site care two days before their discharge and were also provided with training manuals to guide their home care. Both groups were visited weekly at their homes to record their complications. Nine complications developed in eight patients (26.7%) in the study group, and 19 complications developed in 19 patients (63.3%) in the control group. Pin site infections were 11.6% of the total sample. The percentage for pin loosening, stiff joint, nerve and vessel injury and pain and swelling was 5%, 25%, 1.7% and 3.3%, respectively.

Effects and Anti-rotation Stabilization of the Non-bridging External Fixation for Pronation-Abduction Stage III Ankle Fracture: A Cadaveric Study

“…Advantages and Disadvantages. External fixation has been reported with a high rate of pin site infection and pin loosening [20,22], leading to malreduction and traumatic arthritis associated with the incongruence of the tibiotalar joint. Recurrent ankle pain and swelling, long-term joint stiffness, and impaired ankle function are long-term sequelae of the bridging external fixation treatment.…”

“…Ilizarov fixation has also been observed with a lower prevalence of adjacent-joint osteoarthritis after arthrodesis in comparison with internal fixation [ 19 ]. Nevertheless, a high rate of pin site infection and pin loosening [ 20 ] of external fixation was reported. It might lead to malreduction and traumatic arthritis with the incongruence of the tibiotalar joint.…”

Use of external fixators in developing countries: a short socioeconomic analysis

“…Incidence of pin tract infections, loss of fixation, loosening of the components [ 44 ], wound infection, deep infection, loss of reduction, delayed union [ 45 ], Iatrogenic vascular injuries [ 46 ], stiff joint, nerve injury, pain, and swelling [ 47 ], cellulitis [ 48 ] are complications associated with EFs reported in various studies.…”

Pin-Site Myiasis Caused by Screwworm Fly, Colombia

“…Bacterial infection in insertion sites of metallic pins is usually the most frequent complication when external fixators are used in treatment open fractures and represents 10%–40% of complications, followed by loss of pins (5%), pain/edema (3.3%), and vascular or nervous injury (1.7%) ( 3 ). In the past decade, pin-site myiasis has been described as a new complication; 6 cases have been reported (1 in the United States, 2 in Venezuela, and 3 in Greece) ( 2 , 4 – 6 ).…”