Skeletal injury in thermal trauma: a review of management.

This paper reports the results of treating 12 patients, from a total of 1011 admissions to the burns unit, who had a combination of extensive burns, fractures and exposed bone or joint. Our results suggest that the benefits of early skeletal stabilization outweigh the increased risks of infection in the burned patient, and that areas of exposed bone or joint less than 3 cm across the smallest axis may be successfully treated by repeated split-skin grafting, but larger areas require early excision and flap coverage for optimum rehabilitation.