ARTERIOVENOUS-FISTULA FOLLOWING OSTEOSYNT HETIC TREATMENT OF UPPER AND LOWER LEG FRACTURES

Two cases of an arteriovenous fistula following osteosynthetic treatme nt of a distal fracture of the thigh and a fracture of the lower leg a re described. A large AV-fistula between the popliteal artery and the popliteal vein resulted in aneurysmal dilatation of the iliac and femo ral vessels 10 years later. The AV-fistula of the second case was smal l and the result of a large aneurysma spurium in the proximal calf mus cles which was discovered 6 years after the initial injury. The treatm ent course of the large AV-fistula was protracted. The surgical therap y of the large aneurysma spurium with the small AV-fistula was uncompl icated.