Summary |
Low extremity long bone fractures are among the most common fractures encountered in orthopedic practice. Intramedullary interlocking nailing and minimal invasive locking plating are considered as the current treatment methods for the management of lower limb long bone fractures. Although the technique of tibial and femoral antegrade nailing or plating have been well-established, the placement of distal locking screws is still troublesome for many orthopedic surgeons. Free-hand technique of attaining "perfect-circles" with the assistance of fluoroscopy is most common method for the insertion of distal locking screw. Its pitfalls include increased operative time, increased radiation exposure, and the incidence of distal locking screw misplacement. The aim of our study is to provide orthopedic surgeons with a fast, safe, and precise targeting device for screw placement by using electro-optical engineering to decreased radiation exposure of fluoroscopy to both the surgeons and the patients. |