The reduction of the fragments preliminary to internal splintage in cases of fracture of the long bones / by G.H. Colt.

  • Colt, George Herbert, 1878-1957.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The reduction of the fragments preliminary to internal splintage in cases of fracture of the long bones / by G.H. Colt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    THE REDUCTION OF THE FRAGMENTS PRELIMI- NARY TO INTERNAL SPLINTAGE IN CASES OF FRACTURE OF THE LONG BONES. BY G. H. COLT, M.B., F.R.C.S., OF ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND, Assistant Surgeon to the Royal Infirmary. In Annals of Surgery, November, 1912, p. 769, Ger- ster publishes an interesting article on “ The Reduction of the Fragments in Fractures of the Long Bones.” The need for some mechanical device to effect reduction has long been felt. During the operation great difficulty is often experienced in reducing and maintaining the fragments in correct alignment while a Lane’s plate is applied and this is particularly the case in fractures near the middle of the shaft of the femur of some weeks or months duration, so much so that occasionally after repeated attempts at reduction have failed it is neces- sary to remove portions of the ends of the bone in order to obtain correct apposition. Although much can be done by extension applied immediately in recent cases and particu- larly by employing Jones’ method with a Thomas’ knee splint, there still remain a certain number of cases in which the re- sult is bad. The requisite care in nursing may not always be attainable and in outlying districts medical aid may not be so easily procured as in towns. Such cases come to operation. During the operation much of the force used in producing extension is applied through the knee-joint and sometimes synovitis is set up. The procedure is the reverse of elegant and is excessively tiring to the assistants. When operation is performed in the house occupied by the patient there may be difficulty in finding supports for any pulley extension such as the operator is accustomed to use in his own theatre. These considerations led me in October, 1911. to devise an apparatus that would help to render reduction easy. It was clear that the method should involve applying the force of separation as a