[Primary treatment of gunshot and explosion injuries of the extremities with the Ilisarov ring fixator].

High-energy missile and explosion injuries of the upper and lower extremities are complex and require treatment over a long time. Following classic strategies of surgical therapy, bone defects can be reconstructed only after the injured soft tissue has healed. The callus distraction technique now permits the beginning of bony reconstruction at the same time as the initial surgical debridement. During the period 1 July 1987 to 30 June 1990, 25 grade III open fractures in 24 patients were primarily treated with the Ilisarov technique at Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital, Kabul, Afghanistan. Twelve months after the removal of the fixation devices the patients were examined and the following results were demonstrated: no amputations; bony, aseptic healing in 22 cases (88%); 3 non-unions, including 2 infected non-unions; 2 axial deviations > 10 degrees. The primary initiation of bony reconstruction by callus distraction offers numerous advantages in the treatment of gunshot and explosion injuries.