 | This article needs more reliable medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. (January 2022) |  |
| External fixation | |
|---|---|
 An Ilizarov apparatus is a type of external fixation used to treat limb deformities. | |
| ICD-9-CM | 78.1, 79,93.51-93.56, 93.59 |
| MeSH | D016267 |
External fixation is a surgical treatment wherein Kirschner pins and wires are inserted and affixed into bone and then exit the body to be attached to an external apparatus composed of rings and threaded rods — the Ilizarov apparatus, the Taylor Spatial Frame, and the Octopod External Fixator — which immobilises the damaged limb to facilitate healing.[1] As an alternative to internal fixation, wherein bone-stabilising mechanical components are surgically emplaced in the body of the patient, external fixation is used to stabilize bone tissues and soft tissues at a distance from the site of the injury.[citation needed]
- ^ Murphy, Mary Schuler (1 January 2006). "Chapter 27 - Humeral Fractures". Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation (Third ed.). Churchill Livingstone. pp. 369–387. ISBN 978-0-443-06663-4. Retrieved 29 January 2022.