Medullary nailing is one of the oldest types of in a way that did not allow the surgeon to be car­ surgical fracture treatment. Splinting a fracture by ried away by enthusiasm. They impressed by re­ insertion of plugs made of ebony dates back to porting merits and pitfalls alike in a very realistic the ancient Egyptian culture. As for many other and convincing manner. types of fracture treatment, some outstanding but When we consider the past, we automatically lone pioneers performed what was in their hands confront the question, "What is next?" Where are an art based on intuition. But most of them re­ today's problems and what could the solutions be? mained lonely pioneers since they could teach The present book discusses the view that medul­ neither the basics nor the surgical art without a lary nailing is able to compensate for the distur­ deeper understanding of the underlying science. bance to blood circulation brought by the frac­ It took the tenacity of Kuntscher to establish ture, the surgical procedures, the instruments and medullary nailing as an accepted method of treat­ the implants. On the one hand, it is apparent that ment world-wide. It is a method that is attractive there is potential for biological improvements, because of its apparent simplicity and tolerance of specifical in terms of avoiding or reducing trau­ the procedures. Kuntscher's great achievements mata due to reaming.

Associate editor: A. Grosse, H.J.T.M. Haarman, H. Seidel, G. Taglang