METHODS: The purpose of this study was to develop new instrumentation to make Blount staple insertion as accurate and minimally invasive as eight-Plate insertion. We developed wire/drill guides to accommodate all three sizes of the Blount staple. Two wires are inserted through the wire guide under image intensifier control. After confirming the accurate position of the guidewires, a 3.2-mm cannulated step drill is used to drill over the wires to a depth of 5 mm. This creates two pilot holes for the two tines of the Blount staple. The final insertion is guided under an anteroposterior image intensifier view. We also developed a small staple holder that permits insertion through a small incision.
RESULTS: We developed a working prototype of the new instrumentation and used it in three clinical cases.
CONCLUSIONS: With the new staple inserter and instrumentation, Blount staples can now be inserted through a smaller incision with similar accuracy as eight-Plate insertion.
PMID: 23904903 [PubMed]
Read more... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23904903?dopt=Abstract
