Imaging of fractures with external fixators using flexible cassettes.

Manufacturers are now producing components made of radiolucent material, but these are expensive. and may not be available to all surgeons. We have used panoramic radiography products (Kodak Dental Products Catalog and Reference Guide 199 1). as used by dental surgeons for the mandible, to image fractures in some forms of external fixation (Fig. Ib). The range of products includes small films and a thin. flexible cassette which can be placed in the limited space between the patient and the external fixator. This eliminates the radiodense components from the path of the X-ray beam. We have found this technique simple and useful for evaluating fractures of the distal radius. femur, tibia and