title: Biomechanical comparison of three fixation techniques used for four-corner arthrodesis.
abstract: Clinical results following four-corner arthrodesis vary and suggest that nonunion may be related to certain fixation techniques. The purpose of our study was to examine the displacement between the lunate and capitate following a simulated four-corner arthrodesis with the hypothesis that three types of fixation (Kirschner wires, dorsal circular plate, and a locked dorsal circular plate) would allow different amounts of displacement during simulated wrist flexion and extension. Cadaver wrists with simulated four-corner arthrodeses were loaded cyclically either to implant failure or until the lunocapitate displacement exceeded 1 mm. The locked dorsal circular plate group was significantly more stable than the dorsal circular plate and K-wire groups (p = 0.018 and p = 0.006). While these locked dorsal circular plates appear to be very stable our results are limited only to the biomechanical behavior of these fixation techniques within a cadaver model.
authors.affiliation: Biomechanics Laboratory, Division of Orthopedic Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kraisarin
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Dennison
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Berglund
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: A Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001174:Arthrodesis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001860:Bone Plates; D001864:Bone Wires; D002102:Cadaver; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000601:surgery*; D017792:Surgical Stapling; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000601:surgery*