This is a technique by which bone fragments are held in position by one of a variety of internal fixating devices - screws, nails, plates, rods, wires, or a combination.
Internal fixation provides for precise reduction, immediate stability and early mobilisation. Internal fixation should be performed within 24 hr; however swelling, open wounds and the general state of the patient may delay matters.
Early mobilisation avoids the "plaster disaster" - disuse osteoporosis, muscle wasting, stiffness - and enables the patient to leave hospital once the wound has healed. However, it is important to stress that the fragments are not united simply because the bone moves as one piece. Full weight bearing may not be possible for some time afterwards.
The main problem, however, is the risk of infection - from the wound or from the operation.
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