gms | German Medical Science

Objectives/Interrogation: The management of distal radius fractures includes several techniques, starting from cast immobilization till surgery through different treatments: plates and screws, external fixators.

Aim of this presentation is to assess and evaluate which are the key factors that may affect the stability and stiffness of the Mutifix wrist and to present the clinical experience related to the implant for this new external fixator device.

Methods: The new external fixator device named Mutifix Wrist ® is based on the use percutaneous pins or K wires linked to ax external support that ensures rigidity to the whole construct.

Mutifix Wrist is an external fixator whose main body is made of a shapeable aluminum alloy that can allocate multiple k-wires having random orientations.

The holes on the aluminum bar can house K wires whose diameter varies between 1,5 mm and 2 mm and whose orientation depends on the fracture characteristics and on the reduction strategy adopted.

Thanks to this, the device is versatile and can adapt to different patient's and fracture's characteristics. The k wires are clamped to the bar with the use of a dedicated tool by plastic deformation of the bar around the holes. In addition to this a 5 mm carbon bar can be connected to the main frame body to stiffen the construct. The carbon bar is linked to the aluminium bar through the steel clamps at the end of the main fixator body and allows (as an option) to place additional out of the plane clamps to fix additional pins in multiple planes. These k wires are fixed to the carbon bar through an optional clamp.

K wires or pins allows to cross the fracture and to fix small bone fragments in case of comminuted fractures.

This external fixator, non-brindging, is a very versatile device because it allows to place pins or wires in multiple directions, angulations and planes achieving an optimal reduction in different kind of fractures.

Results and Conclusions: Compared to ORIF with plate the use of an external fixator is an easy method, reduces the risk of damage for surrounding soft tissues, permits to maintain the obtained reduction. Moreover, is a really versatile technique that allows to manage both intra and extra articular fractures.