Pediatric Femur Fractures by Daniel J. Hedequist & Benton E. Heyworth

Author:Daniel J. Hedequist & Benton E. Heyworth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer US, Boston, MA

History of Traction

Since the times of the ancient Greeks, traction has been utilized to reduce dislocations and splint fractures. Some inventive devices, complete with pulleys, levers, and ropes, were used to treat fractures in ancient times. The first use of continuous, isotonic traction to treat a fracture was credited to Guy de Chauliac (1300–1368), a French surgeon more famous for his work combating the Black Plague [11]. Using Hippocrates’ teachings that fractures of the femoral shaft should be treated in extension, a weight was suspended attached to a cord over a pulley at the end of the bed. The weight was attached to the leg using a handkerchief (Fig. 7.1a, b). For prolonged treatment of femoral shaft fractures, this treatment approach had significant shortcomings. The chief problem was how to attach the traction device to the limb without causing sores or problems of hygiene related to the prolonged position in bed. Attachment of the weight using a handkerchief was acceptable for isometric traction, but insufficient for continuous isotonic traction.

Fig. 7.1(a, b) The handkerchief and the gaiter were the usual methods of applying traction to the leg in the eighteenth century

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