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Published on: June 11, 2013
Measuring tip-apex distance using a picture archiving and communication system (PACS)
Luke J Johnson1, Marcus R Cope, Shahram Shahrokhi
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia. dr.johnson@internode.on.net
Injury
|June 10, 2008
Summary
A new digital method accurately and reproducibly measures tip-apex distance (TAD) for hip screws, aiding surgeons in preventing hardware failure in trochanteric fractures.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic surgery
- Medical imaging technology
Background:
- Sliding hip screws are standard for trochanteric fractures.
- Tip-apex distance (TAD) predicts hardware failure; higher TAD increases cut-out risk.
- Traditional TAD measurement methods are cumbersome.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and validate a novel, digital method for estimating TAD.
- To assess the accuracy and reproducibility of the digital TAD measurement.
Main Methods:
- A digital picture archiving and communication system (PACS) was used for TAD estimation.
- Four surgeons measured TAD on ten radiographs at two time points.
- Results were analyzed using two-tailed t-tests.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences were found between observers.
- No significant differences were observed over time for individual observers.
- The digital method proved highly reproducible.
Conclusions:
- Digital TAD measurement using PACS is accurate and reproducible.
- This method simplifies auditing and facilitates rapid TAD estimation in clinical settings.
- It supports improved outcomes for patients with trochanteric hip fractures.
