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Development of site-specific locking plates for acetabular fractures
Meng Xu1, Li-Hai Zhang, Ying-Ze Zhang
1Department of Orthopaedics, The General Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army, No 28 Fuxing Rd, Beijing, 100853, PR. China.
Orthopedics
|May 16, 2013
Summary
A novel universal locking plate for acetabular fractures was designed using 3D imaging. This site-specific plate offers excellent intraoperative fit, avoiding contouring and ensuring screw accuracy for improved fracture treatment, especially in elderly patients.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Biomedical engineering
- Medical imaging
Background:
- Site-specific locking plates are increasingly used for fracture treatment.
- Clinical application of these plates for acetabular fractures is limited by production constraints.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design a universal, site-specific locking plate for acetabular fractures.
- To evaluate the practicality and clinical suitability of the designed plate.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 171 pelvis 3D photographic records to create a universal posterior innominate bone surface.
- Utilizing 3D software to establish a coordinate system, scale surfaces, and calculate average z-axis values for a universal surface model.
- Designing the locking plate and screw orientation in 3D software, followed by manufacturing using CAD/CAM technology.
Main Results:
- The designed universal locking plate demonstrated an excellent intraoperative fit with the reconstructed bone surface.
- Intraoperative plate contouring was eliminated, and locking screws (3.5-mm) engaged successfully with consistent orientation.
- No instances of screw penetration into the acetabulum were observed.
Conclusions:
- The developed method for designing site-specific acetabular locking plates is practical and yields clinically suitable implants.
- These universal plates represent a viable treatment option for acetabular fractures, particularly for the elderly population.
