The history of orthopaedic use of nitinol compression staples

The use of nitinol continuous compression staples has shown clinical utility in the management of various orthopaedic injuries. While literature is most robust in the realm of foot/ankle and spine surgery, the use of nitinol staples has been documented in fixation of wrist, olecranon, patella, and pelvis fractures.

A narrative review was conducted by searching three online databases - PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane using the terms "Nitinol" and "Staple" published between 2003 and 2023. A total of 42 articles met inclusion/exclusion criteria and were included in this review.

Literature outside of foot/ankle and spine surgery is largely limited to biomechanical studies, case reports, and finite element analyses. The literature is summarized within this review by anatomic location including foot/ankle, lower extremity, hand, upper extremity, spine, and pelvis.

Existing literature demonstrates a diverse array of applications for nitinol continuous compression staples in both axial and appendicular orthopaedic care. Advantages of these implants include ease of application, ability to capture small bony fragments, continuous compression across a fracture or arthrodesis, and full coaptation which maximizes the surface area for healing and/or fusion.