[The internet--its uses in traumatology].

No other words have obtained such meaning in the computer world as the catchwords "Online" and "Internet". The possibilities are innumerable, even in the medical field, and therefore we must consider whether trauma and orthopedic surgeons can also benefit from this new telecommunications medium. As a result of this inquiry, a pilot program has been initiated through an Internet connection at the computer center in the University of Ulm to test and define the possibilities of the Internet in routine clinical applications and for scientific projects. For the surgeon, there is already an abundance of information available: (1) A medical search register consisting of more than 20 million words has been comprised. the source of such searches could be clinics, individuals publications, or even an e-mail answer from a patient's "Help" inquiry. (2) The literature can be researched without difficulty on the data highway. (3) It has become possible to communicate transfer figures, texts, sound and video data within seconds to any connected physician throughout the world over the e-mail system. (4) Included in the many scientific news-letters presented in the Internet ae also several specified for the surgical field. (5) It has also become apparent that a few of the rare German-speaking institutions available on the Internet (for example, the AO Institute in Davos, some university departments and a few research institutes) offer very detailed "Home Pages". In comparison to the American institutions, however, the majority of the German surgical world is not yet connected to the Internet. The Internet offers an enormous information service that is always available and is accessible worldwide. This information can already be used in clinical and scientific applications.