PROGRESS IN ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY FOR 1946 A Review Prepared by an Editorial Board of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: XIX. FRACTURES

IN 1946, the first postwar year, the number of articles on fractures increased and the emphasis shifted from gunshot fractures to more nearly normal interests. Intramedullary fixation continued to attract more attention and represented the principal change in the management of fractures. The use of antibiotic drugs became so general that little more was said about their use in compound wounds. External devices for skeletal fixation were mentioned much less frequently as vitallium plates and screws and "18-8 S M O" stainless appliances came to be recognized for their dependability. But still unsettled were the many questions raised concerning conservative vs. operative treatment of fractures.

FRACTURES OF THE SHOULDER  McBride⁸⁶⁸ makes the point that shoulder injuries are not always easy to diagnose and may be confused with lesions of the cervical portion of the spine. Consequently, the diagnosis must be well established before any plan of treatment is undertaken.