Treatment of Fractures According to Al-Zahrawi

Abstract

  ez-Zehrâvî is known as a significant surgeon who made numerous medical achievements. His work, titled "Kitâbü’et-Taṣrîf," consists of 30 volumes covering general surgery. The final volume is dedicated specifically to surgical practices and contains essential information regarding the treatment and management of bone fractures.
This study comprises two main sections. The first section addresses ez-Zehrâvî's life in Andalusia and his lineage; it also provides a detailed examination of his book "et-Taṣrîf," with a focus on the translation of this important work into foreign languages. The second section offers an in-depth analysis of fracture treatment. Within this section, approximately 23 types of fractures mentioned in ez-Zehrâvî's thirtieth article are thoroughly discussed, along with the methods he employed for their treatment. ez-Zehrâvî comprehensively described the necessary techniques for ensuring proper healing of bones and demonstrated remarkable creativity in treating fractures without the aid of X-ray or radiology equipment, given the limitations of his time. This article aims to highlight ez-Zehrâvî's contributions and successes in the field of bone fractures as a Muslim physician.