A Patient-Specific Three-Dimensional-Printed Surgical Guide for Dorsal Scaphoid Fracture Fixation: A Comparative...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Device Design

Background:

• Scaphoid fractures are common wrist injuries.
• Accurate screw placement is crucial for successful scaphoid fracture fixation.
• Current methods may have limitations in achieving optimal trajectory.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a patient-specific, 3D-printed surgical guide for scaphoid fracture fixation.
• To assess guidewire placement accuracy using the custom guide via a limited dorsal approach.

Main Methods:

• Patient-specific 3D surgical guides were designed based on CT scans of cadaveric wrists.
• Guidewire placement was performed with and without the guide.
• Postoperative scans were analyzed to compare planned versus actual guidewire trajectories.

Main Results:

• The guided group showed a trend towards improved angular deviation (10.80°) compared to freehand (14.08°).
• Guided placement resulted in less offset at entry and exit points.
• All guidewire placements were clinically acceptable, with guided cases requiring fewer attempts.

Conclusions:

• Patient-specific 3D-printed surgical guides are feasible for scaphoid fracture fixation.
• The custom guide demonstrated improved guidewire placement accuracy in cadaveric specimens.
• This technology holds promise for enhancing surgical outcomes in scaphoid fracture treatment.