Ulnar or Radial Shortening Osteotomy With a Single Saw Cut

• Published in: The Journal of hand surgery (American ed.) Vol. 34; no. 7; pp. 1248 - 1251
• Main Authors: Sraj, Shafic A., MD, Budoff, Jeffrey E., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-09-2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cadaver; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Equipment Design; Freehand technique; Humans; Medical sciences; Orthopedic surgery; Orthopedics; Osteotomy - instrumentation; radial shortening osteotomy; Radius - surgery; Reproducibility of Results; saw; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Ulna - surgery; ulnar shortening osteotomy; saw; radial shortening osteotomy; Freehand technique; ulnar shortening osteotomy; Treatment; Osteotomy; Surgery; Orthopedics; Shortening; Saw; Technique
• ISSN: 0363-5023; 1531-6564
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2009.04.007

Purpose To determine which currently commercially available saw blades could be held at 45° to the bone to reproducibly provide 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 mm of ulna or radius shortening. Methods Commercially available saw blades were tested for their ability to achieve the osseous shortening at a 45° angle cut. Results When held at a 45° angle to the bone, 2 Stryker 0.64-mm-thick blades achieved a mean shortening of 2.0 mm. A single Linvatec 1.2-mm-thick blade achieved a mean osseous shortening of 2.1 mm. Two Dyonics 0.65-mm-thick blades achieved a mean osseous shortening of 2.7 mm. Two Dyonics 0.89-mm-thick saw blades achieved a mean osseous shortening of 3.1 mm. Three Stryker 0.38-mm-thick saw blades mounted with the middle blade “upside down” with regard to the 2 outer blades achieved a mean osseous shortening of 3.2 mm. Two Linvatec 0.8-mm-thick saw blades achieved a mean osseous shortening of 3.1 mm. Conclusions The findings of this study can help guide surgeons who desire to reproducibly shorten the ulna or radius by 2.0, 2.7, or 3.2 mm using a single saw cut to ensure a parallel osteotomy gap.