BONE LENGTHENING IN CORRECTION OF HAND AND WRIST DEFORMITIES USING NEW MINI EXTERNAL FIXATOR

Abstract

Bone elongation through callotasis is a relatively simple procedure from a surgical point of view. Bone elongation results are amazing and highly beneficial to the patients‘life quality. A good use of the external fixation leads us to meet various orthopaedic and surgical techniques which were unthinkable years ago and which nowadays are a standard practice in pediatric and adult orthopaedics units worldwide. External fixation entails the use of percutaneously placed transosseus pins and/or wires secured to external scaffolding to provide support to a limb. The benefits of external fixation are numerous. When compared with internal plates and intramedullary nails, external fixators cause less disruption of the soft tissues, osseous blood supply, and periosteumin. Our task is to restore the anatomy of the locomotor system mechanically and, which is even more important, biologically, since the whole future life of these bones and joints will depend on it using new mini external fixator device manufactured and developed by Kuwait institute of science and research (KISR). Our study is a short term prospective study of patients received in emergency unit and orthopedic department at Sohag university hospital. After taking of written consent from the patients and approval of the ethical committee, 22 patients with posttraumatic or congenital wrist or hand deformities were treated by the new mini ex.fix. All patients were admitted to orthopedic trauma unit with hand and wrist deformities either traumatic or congenital and placed on radiolucent operating table. General anesthesia had been given to all patients. The new mini external fix technique should be considered for bone lengthening for the surgical treatment of Madelung‘s and other hand and wrist deformities in patients suffering from persistent pain , deformity when gradual correction and lengthening is indicated as its easy for the patient and the operating surgeon with promising results.