Roland S Camenzind1,2,3, Davide Cucchi4, Tim Leschinger5, Michael Hackl6, Lars P Müller5, Kilian Wegmann5. 1. Center for Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. roland.camenzind@bluewin.ch. 2. Department of Orthopedics, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Forchstrasse 340, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland. roland.camenzind@bluewin.ch. 3. Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Lucerne, Spitalstrasse, 6000, Lucerne, Switzerland. roland.camenzind@bluewin.ch. 4. Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Lucerne, Spitalstrasse, 6000, Lucerne, Switzerland. 5. Center for Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. 6. Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The optimal screw placement in arthroscopically assisted fixation of radial head fractures is still an issue and no guiding methods have been evaluated in the recent literature. The study hypothesis was that using a "reference k-wire" percutaneously inserted in and parallel to the radiocapitellar joint would enable to achieve a trajectory more parallel to the radial head articular surface as compared to a free-hand k-wire placement. METHODS: Arthroscopically assisted placement of a k-wire in the radial head was performed in seven fresh-frozen human cadaver specimens by three surgeons. Three different techniques were evaluated: freehand drilling (technique A), placement using a "reference" k-wire in the radiocapitellar joint as a reference without (technique B), and with the AO parallel k-wire guide (technique C). Radiographs from all procedures were obtained and the inclination angle "α" between the k-wire and the articular surface of the radial head was measured and compared among the techniques. RESULTS: Angles of 84 radiographs were obtained and showed a mean α angle of 30.1° ± 13° for technique A, 5.7° ± 4.5° for technique B, and 5.4° ± 3.7° for technique C. The angle α was significantly higher with technique A as compared to B (p < 0.0001) and C (p < 0.0001). There was no difference between methods B and C (n.s.). No difference was observed among the surgeons for all three methods (p = 0.66). CONCLUSION: With the use of an additional "reference" k-wire placed in the radiocapitellar joint, the guiding k-wire for screw drilling can be placed almost parallel to the radial head joint line with limited variability and a good reproducibility during arthroscopically assisted radial head fracture fixation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The here-presented method of an additional, percutaneous introduced "reference" k-wire is easily applicable and helpful to achieve parallel screw placement during arthroscopically assisted radial head fracture fixation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, biomechanical cadaver study.
PURPOSE: The optimal screw placement in arthroscopically assisted fixation of radial head fractures is still an issue and no guiding methods have been evaluated in the recent literature. The study hypothesis was that using a "reference k-wire" percutaneously inserted in and parallel to the radiocapitellar joint would enable to achieve a trajectory more parallel to the radial head articular surface as compared to a free-hand k-wire placement. METHODS: Arthroscopically assisted placement of a k-wire in the radial head was performed in seven fresh-frozen human cadaver specimens by three surgeons. Three different techniques were evaluated: freehand drilling (technique A), placement using a "reference" k-wire in the radiocapitellar joint as a reference without (technique B), and with the AO parallel k-wire guide (technique C). Radiographs from all procedures were obtained and the inclination angle "α" between the k-wire and the articular surface of the radial head was measured and compared among the techniques. RESULTS: Angles of 84 radiographs were obtained and showed a mean α angle of 30.1° ± 13° for technique A, 5.7° ± 4.5° for technique B, and 5.4° ± 3.7° for technique C. The angle α was significantly higher with technique A as compared to B (p < 0.0001) and C (p < 0.0001). There was no difference between methods B and C (n.s.). No difference was observed among the surgeons for all three methods (p = 0.66). CONCLUSION: With the use of an additional "reference" k-wire placed in the radiocapitellar joint, the guiding k-wire for screw drilling can be placed almost parallel to the radial head joint line with limited variability and a good reproducibility during arthroscopically assisted radial head fracture fixation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The here-presented method of an additional, percutaneous introduced "reference" k-wire is easily applicable and helpful to achieve parallel screw placement during arthroscopically assisted radial head fracture fixation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, biomechanical cadaver study.
Authors: Florian Haasters; Tobias Helfen; Wolfgang Böcker; Hermann O Mayr; Wolf Christian Prall; Andreas Lenich Journal: BMC Musculoskelet Disord Date: 2019-07-27 Impact factor: 2.362