[Progress and changes in the treatment of shaft fractures of the femur and tibia].

The historical development of the treatment of shaft fractures is outlined. Nowadays there is a number of possibilities for the treatment of shaft fractures: conservative and surgical methods. Operative treatment can be done with screws and plates, with intramedullary or interlocking nailing, and with external fixators. The advantages and risks of the various methods are explained. We should now no longer ask what the best method is for any fracture, but rather what method will provide the best prospects of healing in a particular pattern of injury.