The Rancho mounting technique for the Ilizarov method. A preliminary report.

To improve implant tolerance and muscle function associated with circular external fixation, the authors substituted divergent titanium pins for the tensioned steel wires used to mount the Ilizarov apparatus on a limb. The first ten patients treated with half-pins were compared to the last ten patients managed with tensioned wires. While the conditions were not exactly comparable, the half-pin group showed improvement over the wire group in categories including time in fixation, implant-site sepsis, range of joint motion, pain medication requirements, and ambulatory capacity. Half-pin mountings require special techniques for a successful application.