Reassessing the role of external fixation in polytrauma and severly injured patients with chest trauma and femur fracture: a propensity score-matched analysis from the TraumaRegister DGU®

These findings suggest that external fixation of femur fractures may not be universally necessary, particularly in patients with moderate chest trauma, and early definitive care may offer comparable outcomes with shorter recovery times. Standardized criteria are needed to optimize treatment decisions and reserve external fixation for cases where it is clinically essential.