External fixation for the foot and ankle in children

External fixation has many applications to the pediatric foot and ankle. Additional applications of external fixation continue to be developed as technology and experience improve. External fixation should not be performed by a surgeon inexperienced in the technique. It is vital to gain knowledge from courses, lectures, seminars, and books about the topic. Surgeons who wish to use external fixation should visit and observe at centers where external fixation is frequently performed and obtain personal instruction from surgeons experienced in the Ilizarov method.