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.
Die Stabilisierung von Knochenfragmenten mit Hilfe eines Fixateur externe geht wa- scheinlich auf LAMBOTTE (1902) zurück. Der Fixateur externe ist jedoch noch nicht im gleichen Maße zum Durchbruch gekommen, wie die geschlossene Frakturenbehandlung nach BöHLER, W ATSON-JONES, SARMIENTO und die stabilen Osteosynthesen. Aber auch die operative Frakturbehandlung hat erst 1958 durch die Schweizerische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen AO weltweite Verbreitung gefunden. Dabei ist die AO-Technik von deren Autoren MüLLER, ALLGÖWER und WILLENEGGER zu keiner Zeit etwa als allein richtige Methode verstanden worden, und in ihrem Buch "Technik der operativen Frakturenbehandlung", Springer-Verlag 1963, steht im Vorwort: "Wir können nicht genug warnen vor Osteosynthesen, die ohne entsprechende Schulung des Chirurgen und ohne notwendige technische Voraussetzungen bezüglich Instrumentarium und Asepsis im Operationsbetrieb durchgeführt werden ... ". Die Gefahren der direkten Osteosynthese haben die konservative Behandlung in modifizierter Form reaktiviert, so daß heute das "functional bracing" nach SARMIENTO vielerorts genauso oft Anw- dung findet, wie die AO-Technik.