IN DISORDERS of the bones and joints, as in all other special fields of medicine, many primary conditions exist for which there is no definitive treatment, and also many troublesome complications are encountered that add to the difficulties of operation. During a clinical evaluation of hyaluronidase over the past three years, it became apparent that the enzyme might prove useful not only for rapid elimination of the extracellular fluid accumulations (edema, hematoma, hemarthrosis) that frequently complicate orthopedic conditions and delay operative treatment, but also for specific therapy or prophylaxis in certain surgical problems for which no satisfactory measures heretofore have been available.
The value of hyaluronidase as a useful adjunct in the treatment of fractures and other bone injuries has been stressed in an earlier report.1 It seems apparent that hyaluronidase will find even greater usefulness through its ability to reduce soft-tissue swelling particularly as it relates to the