The management of open fractures

This is a review of Medline and PubMed articles on open fractures published in the English literature between 1945 and April 2005. The emphasis of most published articles has been placed on definitive treatment of these injuries at sophisticated referral hospitals. The prehospital emphasis has been on rapid evacuation and referral to ensure that definitive treatment can be initiated as quickly as possible. Little has been discussed about the management of these injuries in remote settings where evacuation may consume considerably more time. Contemporary recommendations for management of these injuries are reviewed.