Influence of instability and muscular weakness in ethiopathogenesis of hip fractures.

The aim of our study was to, in accordance with the presented theoretical presumptions, analyze the possible reasons for hip fractures of the older population in the north-eastern part of Croatia. A group of 2,696 persons (1,936 women and 760 men) with hip fractures has been analyzed during a 12 year period (from 1993. until 2005.

External fixation and infection of soft tissues close to fracture localization.

We evaluated the method of external fixation for stabilization of unstable closed and open first-degree diaphyseal fractures of long bones of lower extremities in 19 patients with infections of soft tissues close to the fracture location. The results are compared with those of another group (n = 392) of patients, with similar fractures without infections close to the fracture site, treated with inner stabilization methods. In the first group of patients, we noticed postoperative osteitis of the tibia in two cases (10%), but no pseudarthrosis or lesions of important blood vessels.