FACTORS INFLUENCING CALLUS FORMATION IN OPEN FIXATION OF FRACTURES

¹ ANTWERP, BELGIUM

In the treatment of fractures, surgeons are striving for time optiimmummm type of callus, exactly as timey aim at obtaining a perfect skin scar.

The characteristics of an optimum callus are: (1) rapid formation; (2) its quality (solid homogeneous bone); and (3) its quantity, which should be neither large enough to interfere with function (a large callus corresponds to a keloid) nor too small.

Surgeons have at their disposal most of the means of reaching their aim. The most important ones depend upon themselves, their principles, their methods, and their technique,-the "timing", the perfection of reduction and immobilization, the discriminating use of bone grafts, and so forth. In spite of attention to all these factors in particular cases of old fractures, surgeons will be confronted with a lack of response on the part of Nature; the bones "won't heal". (This should be the object of more research; and the author suggests the study of vaccines and of resorbable alloy.) All the means of effectively increasing the local supply of blood will be of help.

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