Barts and The London Orthopaedic Centre
For patients with acute fractures, with fractures that have not healed effectively and fractures that are infected or malformed, we provide a specialist service using Ilizarov and spatial frames. These frames, also known as external fixators, provide extra support and allow the bone to heal. They are fixed to the outside of the limb (usually the leg) with a series of pins and fine wires that go through the skin and into the bone.
External fixators are used in both adults and children. As they can be used to lengthen and move bones (working similarly to braces on teeth), they are sometimes used in the treatment of children born with physical impairments such as having one leg longer than the other.
Frames are commonly used with patients who have been involved in serious traumatic injuries. Our multidisciplinary team provides the following services.
The Clinical Nurse Specialists for external fixators are Hannah Pugh and Anna Timms.