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Surgical advantages of using 3D patient-specific models in high-energy tibial plateau fractures

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European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Treatment of tibial plateau fractures are difficult due to the intra-articular nature of the proximal tibia and extensive involvement of the soft tissue envelope. In this study, we investigated the surgical experience acquired using digitally designed life-size fracture models to guide as a template to place plates and screws in the treatment of tibial plateau fractures and anatomic reduction of joint.

Methods

20 tibial plateau frature patients were divided into two equal surgery groups as conventional versus 3D model assisted. The fracture line angles, depression depth, and preoperative/postoperative Rasmussen knee score were measured for each patient.

Results

The duration of the operation, blood loss volume, turniquet time and number of intraoperative fluoroscopy was 89.5 ± 5.9 min, 160.5 ± 15.3 ml, 74.5 ± 6 min and 10.7 ± 1.76 times, for 3D printing group and 127 ± 14.5 min, 276 ± 44.8 ml, 104.5 ± 5.5 min and 18.5 ± 2.17 times for the conventional group, respectively. 3D model-assisted group indicated significantly shorter operation time, less blood loss volume, shorter turniquet and fluoroscopy times, and better outcome than the conventional one.

Conclusions

The customized 3D model was user friendly, and it provided a radiation-free tibial screw insertion. The use of these models assisted surgical planning, maximized the possibility of ideal anatomical reduction and provided individualized information concerning tibial plateau fractures.

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Assoc. Prof. Tahsin Oguz Başokcu, Faculty of Education Department of Measurement and Evaluation in Education, Ege University, for sincere efforts and statistical evaluations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey

    Anil Murat Ozturk, Onur Suer & Kemal Aktuglu

  2. Department of Anatomy Digital Imaging and 3D Modelling Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey

    Okan Derin, Mehmet Asim Ozer & Figen Govsa

Authors
  1. Anil Murat Ozturk
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  2. Onur Suer
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  3. Okan Derin
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  4. Mehmet Asim Ozer
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  5. Figen Govsa
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  6. Kemal Aktuglu
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Contributions

Study design: KA and AMO. Data assembly: OS. Data analysis: MAO and OS. Final approval of the manuscript: FG and KA.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Figen Govsa.

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Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (e.g., consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest related to the submitted article.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by our institutional review and ethics board.

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Ozturk, A.M., Suer, O., Derin, O. et al. Surgical advantages of using 3D patient-specific models in high-energy tibial plateau fractures. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 46, 1183–1194 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-020-01378-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-020-01378-1

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