International orthopaedics
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Review Historical Article
History of external fixation for treatment of fractures.
Surgery in the first half of the nineteenth century was primarily dominated by pain and fear of lethal infections. Therefore, the absolute majority of fractures and dislocations were treated non-operatively. Development of operative treatment of fractures was influenced by three major inventions: anaesthesia (1846), antisepsis (1865) and X-rays (1895). ⋯ In America it was Clayton Parkhill, in 1897, with his "bone clamp" who started the process. Both Parkhill and Lambotte observed that metal pins inserted into bone were tolerated extremely well by the body. Mainly on the basis of their research findings, many external fixation devices have been and are being developed.