Fig. (2) (A,B) A cross section of the femur with a IM nail in situ. The introduction of a Schanz screw poses the risk of undesirable contact and friction with the nail. (C,D) This risk is avoided with the use of smaller diameter pins through an external fixator ring. Additionallly, the presence of the big diameter nail permits the parallel application of the wires without any possible ring shearing movement affect the final result.