title: A hexapod robot external fixator for computer assisted fracture reduction and deformity correction.
abstract: Using hexapod robot kinematics, an external fixator adjustable in all six spatial degrees of freedom was developed. As usual with a robot system, bone movements can be accomplished with high precision. Contrary to conventional external fixators any three-dimensional movement is realisable without giving up stability or the necessity to change parts of the construction during the treatment. At first a manually controlled fixator with appropriate software was developed. Then electromotor elements were added, resulting in a "fracture reduction robot" and a fixator featuring load measurement capabilities was built. Finally the concept was extended into an "intelligent fixator" which will accomplish automatically controlled fracture and deformity treatment in the future.
authors.affiliation: Berufsgenossenschaftliches Unfallkrankenhaus (Trauma Center), Hamburg, Germany. k.seide@buk-hamburg.de
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seide
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faschingbauer
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Wenzl
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Weinrich
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Juergens
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery*; D004867:Equipment Design; D016267:External Fixators; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted