The webinar “Treatment of open tibia fractures in low-income countries”, held on October 26, 2015, was presented by Dr Subhas B Shah (Nepal) and moderated by Dr Nicholas Lubega (Malawi), two AO Alliance (AOA) trauma surgeons with extensive knowledge of and expertise in the realities of trauma care in low-income countries (LICs).

 Open tibia fractures have increased in LICs along with a growth in disposable incomes and the number of vehicles on the road. Little has been done for road safety and prevention of injuries. On the treatment side, limited resources, scarcity of hardware and clean operative environments continue to challenge surgeons and others providing surgical care. This first-ever webinar sponsored by the AOA addresses these timely issues and shows that adequate and resource-specific methods of managing open tibia fractures in LICs follow the same general principles as those in the developed world: prevention of infection; obtaining bone union; and returning to pre-injury function.