Trauma

There are two excellent trauma articles in this issue of the Orthopedic Clinics of North America that I hope you will enjoy reading. In our first article, Drs Lowenberg, Githens, and Boone have provided an outstanding, comprehensive review of the principles of tibial fracture management with circular external fixation. Ilizarov techniques and circular fixators continue to be an important tool for the management of orthopedic trauma, particularly in the tibia. However, few surgeons in North America do this as a mainstay treatment in their practice, and many experienced orthopedic trauma surgeons may only do these occasionally. Therefore, it is critical to understand the basic principles of this powerful method. Dr Lowenberg and colleagues have done an excellent job in conveying these principles, and surgeons looking to improve their treatment of tibia fractures will benefit from reading this article.

In our second article, Drs DeBottis, Anavian, and Green review the important topic of surgical management of isolated greater tuberosity fractures of the proximal humerus. These are common injuries and frequently are treated nonoperatively. Shoulder surgeons who sometimes have to manage the sequelae of these injuries have noted that many of these injuries treated nonoperatively would have been better treated surgically. Dr Green has shared his techniques for improving outcomes and the indications for surgical management. I think you will find this article informative if you manage these injuries.

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