title: Radiation-free distal locking of intramedullary nails: evaluation of a new electromagnetic computer-assisted guidance system.
abstract: Distal locking of intramedullary nails (IMNs) is a difficult part of intramedullary nailing (IMN) that could be time-consuming and expose the surgeon, the surgery personnel and the patient to a considerable amount of radiation as fluoroscopy is usually guiding the procedure. Utilization of electromagnetic fields for that purpose offers an attractive alternative. The SURESHOT™ Distal Targeting System (Smith & Nephew, Inc., Memphis, TN, USA) is a novel commercially available radiation-free aiming system that utilizes computerized electromagnetic field tracking technology for the distal locking of IMNs. In order to evaluate the efficacy of the system we conducted the present study. Nineteen patients (six females-thirteen males, mean age 39.5 years, range 17-85 years) with closed diaphyseal fracture of the femur (eight patients) or the tibia (eleven patients) were treated with IMN using the SURESHOT™ Distal Targeting System for the distal interlocking. All targeting attempts were successful at first try and followed by correct positioning of the screws. Mean time for distal locking of tibial IMNs (two screws) was 219sec (range 200-250sec). Mean time for distal locking of femoral IMNs (two screws) was 249 (range 220-330sec). In the current study the SURESHOT™ Distal Targeting System proved to be accurate, fast and easy to learn.
authors.affiliation: Third Orthopaedic Department, University of Athens, KAT Hospital, Athens, Greece. ipstathopoulos@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stathopoulos
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karampinas
authors.forename: Dimitrios-Stergios
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Evangelopoulos
authors.forename: Kalliopi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lampropoulou-Adamidou
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vlamis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001858:Bone Nails; D001863:Bone Screws; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control; D010348:Patient Care Team; D061214:Patient Safety; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome