It is to the great and lasting credit of LORENZ BOHLER and his school
that they have in the last decade developed and demonstrated so
thoroughly the techniques for the conservative management of fractures.
Nevertheless there have always been many, including some from BOHLER'S
school, who have found considerable place for surgical management, and
with the significant progress in general surgery seen in postwar years,
a new stimulus has been given to this part of traumatic surgery,
especially since bone injuries have become more complex and frequent.
The concept of internal fixation is not new. The serious criticisms that
have been levelled at it retain today their basic significance. Progress
in the fields of asepsis, corrosion-free metal implants, operative
experience and postoperative care has diminished the dangers but has not
relieved the surgeon of responsibility. The Association for the Study of
the Problems of Internal Fixation (AO) has devoted itself over a number
of years to the basic principles and best methods of open treatment of
fractures by means of extended clinical and scientific studies in order
to determine in each individual case the most promising line of
treatment. At the same time a well designed and tested instrument set
has been developed with precise instructions for the appropriate
techniques. As a result, the new observations about primary bone healing
which have emerged from the practice of rigid internal fixation are as
interesting as the uses to which they can be put in allowing early
mobilization.
