Anyone with experience of working in developing countries soon realizes the rules are different. Trauma and infection form the major part of the orthopaedic workload, and the scope for sophisticated reconstructive surgery is restricted to selected centres.

With limited resources and transport difficulties, the delivery of good primary care to the injured is very important. The personnel involved initially may not be medically qualified or have only limited knowledge of trauma care within their need to cover a wide spectrum of medical and surgical conditions.

It is against such a background that Mr Anwar and his colleagues offer this book. It has been a pleasant experience to read their efforts. The work, which is based on sound principles and safe treatment is applicable to all health care workers. Regardless of their responsibilities, be they for primary care or definitive surgery, there is useful guidance to trainees and practitioners alike.

The work should therefore achieve its authors' ambitions, which include constructive feedback from readers of this first edition. There is a niche for such a book and I for one wish the authors all success.