SIMPLIFIED CALCULATION FOR CORRECTIVE OSTEOTOMIES OF LONG BONES.
OBJECTIVE
To present a simplified calculation for the measurement of osteotomy wedges used for the correction of angular uniplanar deformities of long bones and to compare the simplified calculation proposed (circumferential calculation) with the classical trigonometric calculations, as well as with the exact calculation performed by computer software AutoCADtm.


METHODS
The software AutoCADtm was used to calculate the bone wedges, for mathematical comparison of the three main groups, each one of them containing 18 hypothetical bone deformities which angles ranging from 5 to 90 degrees, with 5 degrees intervals between them.


RESULTS
In the analysis of 18 deformities, the hypothetical angular bone, the average lengths of the corrective wedges obtained by the trigonometric, circumferential and the exact metods were, respectively, 32.21 ± 16.81 mm, 33.16 ± 18.63 mm and 35.22 ± 23.52 mm. There was no statistically significant difference between the three calculation methods (p>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The circumferential calculation proposed in this study is useful for being accurate and simple, not requiring any trigonometric knowledge. Level of Evidence II, Experimental Study.
. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Department of Surgery, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Epitácio Leite
EL
Rolim
. Hospital Getúlio Vargas (HGV), Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Pernambuco, PE, Brazil.
Marcelo Raul Cavalcanti
MR
Torres
. Hospital Getúlio Vargas (HGV), Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Pernambuco, PE, Brazil.
Mauriston Renan Martins
MR
Silva
. Hospital Getúlio Vargas (HGV), Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Pernambuco, PE, Brazil.
Filipe Ramos
FR
Lima
. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Department of Surgery, Recife, PE, Brazil.
José Lamartine DE Andrade
JL
Aguiar
Osteotomy/methods. Bone and bones/abnormalities. Surgical procedures; operative.