Transfer techniques of the lower extremity with an external fixator.
This article describes the uses of external fixation for lower extremity problems and addresses some issues related to the correct way to lift an extremity with an external fixator. The differences in opinions between nurses and among physicians is discussed, followed by suggestions for solving this confusion within the settings in which people work. The article then pictorially demonstrates how to lift an extremity with an external fixator. It proceeds through a series of photographs depicting how to transfer a patient into a chair by supporting the extremity, and again by supporting the external fixator itself.