Mechanical behavior of Ilizarov ring fixators. Effect of frame parameters on stiffness and consequences for clinical use

Abstract

Using a mechanical testing procedure, various fixator constructs were tested in vitro. In addition, the influence of the passive soft tissue structures on the fixation stiffness was determined. An increased number of Schanz' screws or Kirschner wires led to a comparable increase in stiffness than that observed with an increasing screw or wire diameter. In consequence, larger diameters should be preferred over an additional screw or wire where clinically applicable. With diaphyseal telescoping rods only the axial stiffness decreased. As expected, large ring diameters as well as titanium wires reduced stiffness components. Bracing the outer rings caused a reduction of the overall stiffness. Asymmetric pre-tensioning of the K-wires resulted in a significant reduction of tension in the neighboring wire. Removal of the soft tissues reduced stiffness to a similar extend as experienced in a fibula defect situation. The study demonstrates the correlation between design parameters, passive soft tissues and fixation stiffness and presents guidelines for an optimized fixator design.