The digital mini external fixator: A novel and inexpensive technique for forefoot pathology

Abstract

External fixation is widely accepted as a potential fixation technique in the treatment of various foot and ankle pathologies. These constructs may be especially useful in acute trauma stabilization and deformity correction, and can be used to temporarily stabilize an area after excision of infected bone. Unfortunately, these constructs can be complex or expensive. They may not be readily available in the operating theater during emergency cases or if their use was not planned in advance. Additionally, most of the commercial external fixators are too large for small anatomic locations such as the digits in the feet. Therefore, our group has utilized an external fixation technique that is simple, inexpensive, and amenable to small anatomic locations. In this paper, we describe an innovative Digital Mini External Fixator technique that can be applied easily and rapidly to the forefoot in multiple settings, including trauma and limb salvage, with little pre-planning required.