PURPOSE To compare the stability of a novel, nonspanning external fixator with a standard volar locked plate for treatment of unstable distal radius fractures. METHODS A simulated, unstable, extra- articular distal radius fracture was created in six matched pairs of fresh frozen human distal radii. One of each pair was treated with a nonspanning external fixator [Mirza Cross Pin Fixator (CPX)...

An appropriate animal model is critical for the research of stem/progenitor cell therapy and tissue engineering for bone regeneration in vivo. This study reports the design of an external fixator and its application to critical-sized femoral defects in athymic rats. The external fixator consists of clamps and screws that are readily available from hardware stores as well as Kirschner wires. A t...

We report the results of using a combination of fixator-assisted nailing with lengthening over an intramedullary nail in patients with tibial deformity and shortening. Between 1997 and 2007, 13 tibiae in nine patients with a mean age of 25.4 years (17 to 34) were treated with a unilateral external fixator for acute correction of deformity, followed by lengthening over an intramedullary nail wit...

The treatment of comminuted tibial shaft fractures in canine patients is burdened by significant risk which involves bone healing complications, such as delayed bone union. Complications may result from iatrogenic damage to blood vessels during fracture stabilization. To minimize this risk, treatment methods increasingly often rely on the concept of biological osteosynthesis. One of such method...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the outcome and complications following surgical stabilization of canine tarsocrural luxations. METHODS Medical records of dogs which were surgically treated for tarsocrural joint instability between February 2007 and June 2014 were reviewed. Surgical technique, complications and long-term outcome (via questionnaire and Canine Brief Pain Inventory) were assessed. RESU...

OBJECTIVE To establish an optimal single hinge axis position for application of hinged external fixation to the elbow joint. DESIGN Cadaveric biomechanical investigation. SETTING A customized motion transducer applied passive elbow motion to six cadaveric upper extremities. The instant rotation axis of the humero-ulnar articulation was determined from three-dimensional kinematic data acquir...

BACKGROUND In children, inappropriate treatment of open femoral fractures may induce several complications. A few studies have compared the external fixator with flexible intramedullary nails in high-grade open femoral fractures of children. The present study aims at comparing results of these two treatment methods in open femoral fractures. METHODS In this descriptive analytical study, 27 pa...

BACKGROUND There are no established guidelines for the surgical prep of an external fixator in the operative field. This study investigates the effectiveness of different prep solutions and methods of application. METHODS Forty external fixator constructs, consisting of a rod, pin, and pin to rod coupling device, were immersed in a broth of Staphylococcus aureus (lux) for 12 hours. Constructs...