Blocking wires facilitate freehand percutaneous plating of periarticular tibia fractures.
The authors describe the technique of blocking K-wires to facilitate the freehand percutaneous plating of periarticular tibia fractures. The blocking K-wires facilitate anatomic accuracy of plate placement, a limiting feature of percutaneous plating technique particularly in the absence of a plate-specific jig. The described technique is to be applied as part of a staged surgical protocol utilizing temporary external fixation and directed at the preservation of the periarticular soft-tissues of the tibia.
Widmaier
James C
JC
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Geisinger Medical Center, 100 N. Academy Avenue, Danville, PA 17822, USA. jcwidmaier@geisinger.edu
Bowen
Thomas R
TR
D001860:Bone Plates; D001864:Bone Wires; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery*