A Concise Guide to Understanding Limb External Fixators

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A Concise Guide to Understanding Limb External
Fixators
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• Post-surgical bone management is never easy for
  patients. Given the level and the nature of
  surgery, bone fragment surgeries can take up to 8
  weeks to heal. This requires several factors to
  be considered such as the affected organ/tissue
  should be protected from mechanical impacts and
  shouldnt be put under stress while performing
  regular activities such as walking, lifting
  objects, and changing clothes. This is where
  external fixators prove to be an effective
  orthopedic solution by helping patients with
  safeguarding their limbs while the bones grow and
  heal. Continue reading as we present a concise
  guide to understanding limb external fixators.

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Overview

• External limb fixators are a type of orthopedic
  fixation devices articulated on long bones such
  as arms, legs, and feet. Attached by threaded
  pins or wires that pierce through skin and
  tissues, the majority portion of these implants
  remain outside of the body, hence the name.
  External limb fixators are used for multiple
  reasons such as
• Keeping fractured bones stabilized and aligned
• Reducing pressure on joints through distraction
• Rectifying bone deformities
• Increasing the length of the bone

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• Working Mechanism
• External limb fixators operate on the principle
  of gradual adjustment of pressure to allow bone
  regeneration. This begins within 5 to 7 days
  after the surgery to allow bones to rest before
  they are ready for adjustments in fixators
  through the following phases
• Distraction Phase
• In this phase, the patient or their family
  members, based on a schedule prescribed by the
  doctor, are advised to adjust the knob or other
  parts of the device to gradually pull apart the
  bone segments, leaving a void of 1 mm per day.
  This void is filled by newly regenerated bone
  tissue. This process continues till the bone has
  been corrected or straightened.

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• Consolidation Phase
• After the distraction phase, the soft bone tissue
  is allowed to ossify through mineral deposition.
  At this point, the external limb fixators provide
  additional support to keep the healing or
  consolidating bone at its place and minimize
  the risk of bone deformities.
• Types of External Limb Fixators
• External limb fixators come in various designs
  and structures depending on the bone, however,
  the following two are widely used designs

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• Circular
• Consisting of two or more circular components,
  circular (external) limb fixators can completely
  or partially surround the limb. This type of
  structure helps in distributing torsional and
  mechanical pressure to help bone to heal without
  the risk of deformities.
• Monolateral
• Monolateral (external) limb fixators consist of a
  straight bar, which is attached by placing on the
  side of the bone. They are connected with
  multiple screws, coated in hydroxyapatite, to
  strengthen the grip with the bone and prevent the
  risk of slipping/detaching.

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Final Word

• External limb fixators conform around/according
  to the bone shape and size, which is why they are
  widely used for fracture management. When it
  comes to buying external limb fixators, it is
  vital to check the composition of the device
  components, the material and coating provided,
  and the warranty/return policy. If you are
  looking to buy modular fixators for upper and
  lower limbs, contact a trusted supplier of
  medical devices that provides a complete range of
  orthopedic implants made in compliance with
  global manufacturing standards.

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External limb fixators
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Contact us

• 1660 Santa Ana Street, Esq. Fidalgo Diaz San
  Juan,
• Puerto Rico 00909
• Call- 1-787-945-5800
• Email- info_at_madisonorthoinc.com
• Website- https//www.madisonortho.com/