The Comprehensive Classification of Fractures of Long Bones

The history of the origin and development of the new Classification of Fractures was described in the preface to the French edition. The history of the acceptance of this new concept dates back to 1986, when the Swiss Association for the Study of the Problems of Internal Fixation (AO) accepted the new Classification of Fractures. In the same year, the Trustees of the AO/ASIF Foundation, at their annual meeting in Montreux, adopted the new AO Classification as the basis for fracture classification to be used in the planned third edition of the AO/ASIF Manual. In August 1987, the French edition of "The Comprehensive Classification of Fractures of Long Bones" made its first appearance, coincident with the Congress of the International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery (SICOn in Munich. This precipitated a great deal of interest in the subject. This interest persisted, so that in February of 1988 the President of SICOT, Sir Dennis Paterson, formed a "Presidential Commission for Documentation and Evaluation" with Maurice E. Muller as Chairman.

General Section.- 1. Principles of the Classification of Fractures.- 1.1 Morphological Characterization of a Fracture.- 1.2 The Location.- 1.3 Alpha-numeric Coding of the Diagnosis of a Fracture.- 2. The Long Bones, General Comments.- 2.1 Coding of the Long Bones.- 2.2 The Determination of the Segments of the Long Bones and of the Center of a Fracture.- 2.3 The Classification of Diaphyseal Fractures.- 2.3.1 The Diaphyseal Fracture Types.- 2.3.2 The Groups of the Diaphyseal Fractures of the Humerus, Femur, and Tibia/Fibula.- 2.3.3 The Groups of the Diaphyseal Fractures of the Radius/Ulna.- 2.3.4 A Comparative Analysis of 2700 Surgically Treated Diaphyseal Fractures.- 2.3.5 The Subgroups .1, .2, and .3 of the Diaphyseal Groups Al, A21, A3, and B1, B2, B3.- 2.3.6 The Subgroups .1, .2, and .3 of the Diaphyseal Groups Cl, C2, C3.- 2.3.7 The Qualifications for the Diaphyseal Subgroups.- 2.4 The Classification of Fractures of the Proximal and Distal Segments.- 2.4.1 The Fracture Types of Segments 13- and 33-, 21- and 41-, 23- and 43-.- 2.4.2 The Fracture Types for the Segments 11- and 31-.- 2.4.3 The Fracture Types for the Segment 44-.- 2.4.4 The Groups Al, A2, A3 of the Segments 13-, 21- and 23-, 33-, 41- and 43-.- 2.4.5 The Groups B1, B2, B3 of the Segments 13-, 21-, 23-, 33-, 41-, and 43-.- 2.4.6 The Groups Cl, C2, C3 of the Segments 13-, 21- and 23-, 33-, 41- and 43-.- 2.4.7 The Nine Groups Al to C3 of the Proximal Humerus = Segment 11-.- 2.4.8 The Nine Groups Al to C3 of the Proximal Femur = Segment 31-.- 2.4.9 The Avulsion Fractures of the Proximal and Distal Segments.- Special Section, Long Bones.- 1. Humerus = 1.- 1.1 Humerus, Proximal Segment = 11-.- 1.1.1 The Types.- 1.1.2 The Groups.- 1.1.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 1.2 Humerus, Diaphyseal Segment = 12-.- 1.2.1 The Types.- 1.2.2 The Groups.- 1.2.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 1.3 Humerus, Distal Segment = 13-.- 1.3.1 The Types.- 1.3.2 The Groups.- 1.3.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 1.3.4 Comments.- 2. Radius/Ulna = 2.- 2.1 Radius/Ulna, Proximal Segment = 21-.- 2.1.1 The Types.- 2.1.2 The Groups.- 2.1.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 2.2 Radius/Ulna, Diaphyseal Segment = 22-.- 2.2.1 The Types.- 2.2.2 The Groups.- 2.2.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 2.3 Radius/Ulna, Distal Segment = 23-.- 2.3.1 The Types.- 2.3.2 The Groups.- 2.3.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 3. Femur = 3.- 3.1 Femur, Proximal Segment = 31-.- 3.1.1 The Types.- 3.1.2 The Groups.- 3.1.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 3.1.4 Comments.- 3.2 Femur, Diaphyseal Segment = 32-.- 3.2.1 The Types.- 3.2.2 The Groups.- 3.2.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 3.3 Femur, Distal Segment = 33-.- 3.3.1 The Types.- 3.3.2 The Groups.- 3.3.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 4. Tibia/Fibula = 4.- 4.1 Tibia/Fibula, Proximal Segment = 41-.- 4.1.1 The Types.- 4.1.2 The Groups.- 4.1.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 4.2 Tibia/Fibula, Diaphyseal Segment = 42-.- 4.2.1 The Types.- 4.2.2 The Groups.- 4.2.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 4.2.4 Comments.- 4.3 Tibia/Fibula, Distal Segment = 43-.- 4.3.1 The Types.- 4.3.2 The Groups.- 4.3.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 4.4 Tibia/Fibula, Malleolar Segment = 44-.- 4.4.1 The Types.- 4.4.2 The Groups.- 4.4.3 The Subgroups and Their Qualifications.- 4.4.4 Comments about Malleolar Fractures.- Glossary = Dictionary.