Orthopedic Surgery in the News
Orthopedic device 'expands' treatment of fractures
HOUSTON -- (January 31, 2007) -- A new orthopedic device called the expandable nail could significantly simplify and improve the treatment of serious fractures of the long bones of the arms and legs.
The new treatment, which "pins" fractured bones with not-your-average nails and screws, is safer and easier to use than traditional nailing methods, said Dr. Peleg Ben-Galim, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
An expanding nail is a clover-leaf shaped stainless-steel tube comprised of four rectangular bars and a folded, metallic membrane. During surgery, the nail slides into the bone in its collapsed form and is hooked up to a pump which expands the nail by filling it with a pressurized saline solution.
The rectangular bars support the inner walls of the bone and preserve the space between, sparing some of the blood vessels and bone marrow that sustain the bone.
"The beauty of the concept is we can preserve the life and healing ability of the bone," said Ben-Galim.
Restoring the bone's strength and stability has traditionally required hollowing out the space within the broken bone and then inserting a nail inside. This requires removal of blood vessels and bone marrow from the marrow cavity within the bone. Using X-rays, the orthopedic surgeon drills four screws through the bone and the nail.
However, the long and difficult procedure can damage the bone, creating new fractures where the screws are drilled into the bone, and both patient and surgeon are exposed to significantly more radiation than when using the expanding nail technique. Removal of bone marrow also hampers healing ability.
Ben-Galim says that by using this new technique, the time in surgery tends to be reduced by half, and the bones usually heal more quickly.