B.G. Weber – författare

There are many textbooks on fractures in adults, but few deal with those in children and young persons. Publications on fractures in children are usually written by orthope­ dic surgeons who are familiar with the problems presented by the growing skeleton. The principles taught in the best known works on fractures in children by BLOUNT (1954), RETTIG (1957), CHIGOT and ESTEVE (1957), EHALT (1960), POLLEN (1973), and RANG (1974), differ from each other only slightly. The controversy which has sur­ rounded the treatment of fractures in adults in recent years has never extended to chi1drens'' fractures. Skillful nonoperative treatment of the latter leads to uneventful healing in the majority of cases, which cannot always be said of similar injuries in adults. "Considerable skill" is required to induce nonunion in a child, and its occur­ rence always results from a serious error of management. In the adult, prolonged immobilization frequently leads to muscle atrophy, joint stiffness, and disturbances of the peripheral innervation and circulation. Fracture treatment by internal fixation in the manner originally described by LANE (1894), LAMBOTTE (1892, 1907, 1913), KONIG (1905, 1931), and DANIS (1932, 1949) has gained wide acceptance only in the last 15 years. Since 1958, MULLER, ALLGOWER, WIL­ LENEGGER, and the other members of the Swiss Association for the Study of Internal Fixation (ASIF) have been developing techniques and instruments for the operative treatment of fractures.

Professor B.G. WEBER has once again and in a very timely fashion produced a superb book on an orthopaedic subject of great importance. "The Extemal Fixator" is the most comprehensive text on the subject in orthopaedic literature to date. Professor WEBER thoroughly discusses extemal fixation with c1arity, organization, profuse illustrations and roentgenograms. Professor WEBER acknowledges that the use of extemal fixation in orthopaedic surgery is not newand traces its history over the years. He points out c1early the fact that though at various times the "method" has experienced periods of disrepute, modem sophistication, improved technology and a better understanding of its philosophy have given the system a newand perhaps permanent place in the armamentarium of the orthopaedic surgeon. All methods of treatment have critics as well as supporters, and not infrequently the strongest criticisms are the result of poor understanding of the philosophy proposed and its proper implementation. Professor WEBER, in his carefully detailed and well illustrated book, has made it abundantly c1ear that the use of extemal fixators in the treatment of fractures must be c1early understood by the orthopaedic surgeon in order to obtain satisfactory clinical results. His discussion of its philosophy, pathomechanics and technology are most comprehensive and leave "no stone untumed" and because of this the book represents a most comprehensive text on the subject.

Professor B.G. WEBER has once again and in a very timely fashion produced a superb book on an orthopaedic subject of great importance. "The Extemal Fixator" is the most comprehensive text on the subject in orthopaedic literature to date. Professor WEBER thoroughly discusses extemal fixation with c1arity, organization, profuse illustrations and roentgenograms. Professor WEBER acknowledges that the use of extemal fixation in orthopaedic surgery is not newand traces its history over the years. He points out c1early the fact that though at various times the "method" has experienced periods of disrepute, modem sophistication, improved technology and a better understanding of its philosophy have given the system a newand perhaps permanent place in the armamentarium of the orthopaedic surgeon. All methods of treatment have critics as well as supporters, and not infrequently the strongest criticisms are the result of poor understanding of the philosophy proposed and its proper implementation. Professor WEBER, in his carefully detailed and well illustrated book, has made it abundantly c1ear that the use of extemal fixators in the treatment of fractures must be c1early understood by the orthopaedic surgeon in order to obtain satisfactory clinical results. His discussion of its philosophy, pathomechanics and technology are most comprehensive and leave "no stone untumed" and because of this the book represents a most comprehensive text on the subject.