Flexible Intramedullary Nailing in Children is a summation of almost 30 years of experience in the technique of pediatric fracture fixation with elastic intramedullary nails. The technique was pioneered by Metaizeau at the Nancy University Hospital in France, and his work has been continued by Pierre Lascombes, the editor of this book. The first comprehensive manual of this technique was published in 2006 but was only available in French.
The book is well organized and easy to read. The first section provides an excellent background in the development of the technique, the basic science involved in fracture healing, and the biomechanical principles involved in the construction of the nails. Within this section, the chapter on surgical technique is particularly useful for the orthopedic surgeon, because it is filled with excellent diagrams, taking the reader step-by-step through the operative procedure. The chapter is filled with numerous clinical pearls, including pitfalls to avoid, that the authors have learned while performing thousands of procedures using the nails.