Which specialist performs external fixation?

External fixation uses pins or wires placed into bone and connected to a frame outside the skin. The frame holds the injured area in a controlled position while the surgical team manages the injury and surrounding soft tissues. It may be selected when swelling, an open wound or the overall injury makes an internal implant unsuitable at that stage.

Trauma surgeons coordinate urgent injury care, while orthopedic surgeons may help plan definitive stabilization or a later procedure. Nurses and physiotherapists also support pin-site care, mobility and safe use of walking aids.

Follow the team’s instructions about weight-bearing, movement, frame checks and pin-site cleaning. Keep appointments so alignment, healing and skin around the pins can be examined. Report increasing drainage, spreading redness, fever, loose pins, new numbness or a change in the frame’s position.

Do not alter the frame or tighten components unless the treating team has specifically taught you how. Ask how to protect the frame during washing, sleep and transfers, and how to use crutches or another aid.

After an injury, emergency care is needed for uncontrolled bleeding, a cold or pale limb, absent movement or sensation, severe pain out of proportion to the injury, or an open fracture. With a frame in place, seek urgent advice for sudden severe pain, rapidly increasing swelling, a limb that changes colour, or a pin that becomes unstable.

Ask why external fixation is recommended, what movement and weight-bearing are allowed, how pin sites should look, what the next imaging review will assess, and whether another operation may be considered.