This current textbook provides residents, fellows, and surgeons with an interest in fracture care  with the key aspects of, and considerations for, common orthopedic trauma cases. Divided into thematic sections and arranged anatomically, each procedure is described in detail, focusing on patient positioning and the exact steps required to complete each procedure, including traumatic fracture management, external fixation techniques and periprosthetic fractures. To supplement the written step-by-step descriptions, plentiful radiography and intraoperative photos are included to further explain and demonstrate critical or complex steps. Additionally, practical tips by the Harvard orthopedic faculty, and tricks that they have learned over their lifetimes in this field and by treating large numbers of patients, are highlighted.

Often, the education of orthopedic surgery residents is based upon the trust and confidence level that develops between an orthopedic attending and his or her resident. Provided with crucial information for a surgical procedure as well as background information, the level of trust and thereby education should increase exponentially. Junior or senior residents and even consultants frequently refer to handbooks prior to surgically treating patients, which provide easily accessible, concise information. Only a few books exist that detail the steps that meticulously describe surgical tips and tricks for orthopedic trauma cases. 

While geared mainly toward residents, attendings and senior medical students in orthopedics and orthopedic traumatology, Operative Techniques in Orthopedic Trauma is a valuable resource for allied health professionals, including NPs and PAs.

Arvind G. von Keudell, MD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

Michael J. Weaver, MD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA