Ulnar or radial shortening osteotomy with a single saw cut

To determine which currently commercially available saw blades could be held at 45 degrees to the bone to reproducibly provide 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 mm of ulna or radius shortening.

Commercially available saw blades were tested for their ability to achieve the osseous shortening at a 45 degrees angle cut.

When held at a 45 degrees angle to the bone, 2 Stryker 0.64-mm-thick blades achieved a mean shortening of 2.0 mm. A single Linvatec 1.2-mm-thick blade achieved a mean osseous shortening of 2.1 mm. Two Dyonics 0.65-mm-thick blades achieved a mean osseous shortening of 2.7 mm. Two Dyonics 0.89-mm-thick saw blades achieved a mean osseous shortening of 3.1 mm. Three Stryker 0.38-mm-thick saw blades mounted with the middle blade "upside down" with regard to the 2 outer blades achieved a mean osseous shortening of 3.2 mm. Two Linvatec 0.8-mm-thick saw blades achieved a mean osseous shortening of 3.1 mm.

The findings of this study can help guide surgeons who desire to reproducibly shorten the ulna or radius by 2.0, 2.7, or 3.2 mm using a single saw cut to ensure a parallel osteotomy gap.