Objective To summarize the surgical learning curve and preliminary operative experience of dual-robotic navigated minimally invasive treatment on pelvic fractures by TiRobot and Artis Zeego. Methods Between July 2019 and February 2021, 90 patients with pelvic fractures were treated with dual-robotic navigated minimally invasive surgery by TiRobot and Artis Zeego. There were 64 males and 26 females, with an average age of 46.5 years (range, 13-78 years). Body mass index was 14.67-32.66 kg/m2 (mean, 23.61 kg/m2). Causes of injuries included traffic accident in 43 cases, falling from height in 37 cases, low-energy injuries such as flat falls in 10 cases. The interval between injury and surgery was 1-36 days (mean, 7.3 days). According to the location of the implanted screws, the patients were divided into sacroiliac screw group (n=33), acetabular screw group (acetabulum anterior/posterior column, n=24), composite screws group (sacroiliac and acetabulum anterior/posterior column, n=33). According to the screw implantation time and accuracy, the surgical learning curve was plotted, and the differences in the relevant indicators between learning stage and skilled stage were compared. Results All 90 patients successfully completed the operation, the intraoperative bleeding volume was 5-200 mL (median, 20 mL). There was no vascular or nerve injury. All incisions healed by first intention. The screw implantation time ranged from 7.5 to 33.0 minutes (mean, 18.92 minutes), and the screw implantation accuracy ranged from 1.1 to 1.8 mm (mean, 1.56 mm). According to the learning curve, the practice stage of 3 groups was reached after 7, 10, and 11 cases, respectively. With the accumulation of surgical experience, the screw implantation time had a significant downward trend. Compared with the learning stage, the screw implantation time on skilled stage in 3 groups significantly shortened (P<0.05), but the difference in the screw implantation accuracy was not significant (P>0.05). Conclusion TiRobot and Artis Zeego assisted pelvic fracture surgery is safe and efficient, which helps the surgeon to quickly master the pelvic channel screw surgery, and the operation time is significantly shortened on the premise of ensuring the implantation accuracy.
ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness of open reduction and internal fixation through anterior and posterior approaches in treatment of open Tile type C pelvic fractures at early stage. MethodsBetween January 2009 and April 2012, 12 patients with open Tile C pelvic fractures were treated. There were 7 males and 5 females, aged 6-53 years (median, 31 years). Of 12 cases, 4 were classified as Tile type C1, 6 as Tile type C2, and 2 as Tile type C3; 5 were rated as Gustilo type Ⅱ and 7 as Gustilo type Ⅲ. The injury severity score was 18-57 (mean, 37.2). The interval of injury and admission ranged from 15 minutes to 3 days (median, 50 minutes). The debridement and external fixation were performed at first stage; then open reduction and internal fixation were used through anterior approach (reconstruction plate) and posterior approach (cannulated lag screws). The vacuum sealing drainage was performed during treatment until the wounds healed. ResultsDelayed healing of incison was obtained in 12 cases because of wound infection. Anatomical reduction or approximate anatomical reduction was achieved in all 12 cases. The patients were followed up 3-39 months (median, 18 months). No loosening of internal fixation or fracture displacement was observed during follow-up. The fracture healing time was 7-13 weeks (mean, 9.7 weeks). At last follow-up, according to the Matta standard, the outcome was excellent in 10 cases and good in 2 cases; according to Majeed score, the results were excellent in 9 cases, good in 1, and poor in 2. ConclusionEarly internal fixation operation of open Tile type C pelvic fractures can effectively restore the pelvic anatomical structure and stability, reduce the complication, and achieve satisfactory effectiveness.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of unstable pelvic fractures treated with minimally invasive percutaneous bridge internal fixator or traditional external fixator.MethodsThe clinical data of 45 patients with unstable pelvic fractures who met the selection criteria between January 2013 and February 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different surgical methods, they were divided into two groups. In the observation group (25 cases), minimally invasive percutaneous bridge internal fixators were used, and three-dimensional printing pelvic models were used to simulate the reduction and fixation before operation to develop individual reduction strategies. In the control group (20 cases), external fixators were used. There was no significant difference between the two groups in gender, age, cause of injury, fracture type (according to Tile classification), and time from injury to operation (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fracture healing time, and complications were recorded and compared between the two groups. The reduction quality was evaluated according to the Matta standard, and functional recovery was evaluated according to the Majeed scoring standard.ResultsAll patients were followed up 12-20 months (mean, 15 months). The operation time of the observation group was significantly longer than that of the control group (t=2.719, P=0.009); no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss was found between the two groups (t=0.784, P=0.437). There was no significant difference between the two groups in fracture healing time (t=0.967, P=0.341). According to the Matta standard, the excellent and good rate of the observation group was 92%, and that of the control group was 70%, showing no significant difference between the two groups (χ2=3.748, P=0.053). At last follow-up, according to the Majeed scoring standard, the excellent and good rate of the observation group was 88%, and that of the control group was 60%, showing significant difference between the two groups (χ2=4.717, P=0.030). The incidences of incision and nailway infection, secondary displacement of fracture, and malunion in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05); the differences in incidences of iatrogenic injury of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, deep vein thrombosis, and loosening of fixation between the two groups were not significant (P>0.05).ConclusionMinimally invasive percutaneous bridge internal fixator is a safe and effective method for the treatment of unstable pelvic fractures. It has the advantages of minimal trauma, stable fixation, less interference to patients’ daily life, early functional exercise, and quickly recovery after operation.
ObjectiveTo explore the value of recombinant inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) in the prevention of perioperative pulmonary embolism in patients with lower limb or pelvic fracture combined with deep venous thrombosis (DVT).MethodsThe clinical data of 168 patients with lower limb or pelvic fracture combined with DVT were analyzed retrospectively.ResultsThe filters were successfully implanted in 168 patients, and the recoverable filters were removed after (48.3±4.8) d (14–97 d). The filters were removed successfully in 159 cases, and the removal rate was 94.6%. Sixty-one cases were found to have thrombus on the filter after contrast examination or removal of vena cava filter, that is, the thrombus interception rate was 36.3%.ConclusionFor patients with lower limb or pelvic fracture combined with DVT, the rechargeable vena cava filter can effectively stop thrombosis and avoid pulmonary embolism.
Objective To explore the effectiveness of Colorado 2TM system in the stabil ity reconstruction of sacroil iac joint fracture and dislocation in Tile C pelvic fracture. Methods Between February 2009 and January 2011，8 cases of Tile C pelvic fracture were treated with Colorado 2TM system. There were 3 males and 5 females with an average age of 34.4years (range，22-52 years). Fractures were caused by traffic accident in 3 cases, by fall ing from height in 3 cases，and by crash of heavy object in 2 cases. According to Tile classification, 5 cases were classified as C1-2, 2 cases as C1-3，and 1 case as C2. The time between injury and operation was 5-10 days (mean, 7 days). After skeletal traction reduction, Colorado 2TM system was used to fix sacroil iac joint, and reconstruction plate or external fixation was selectively adopted. Results The postoperative X-ray films showed that the reduction of vertical and rotatory dislocation was satisfactory, posterior pelvic ring achieved effective stabil ity. All the incisions healed by first intention, and no blood vessel or nerve injury occurred. Eight patients were followed up 6-24 months (mean, 12 months). No loosening or breakage of internal fixation was observed and no re-dislocation of sacroil iac joint occurred. The bone heal ing time was 6-12 months (mean, 9 months). According to Majeed’s functional criterion, the results were excellent in 5 cases, good in 2 cases, and fair in 1 case at last follow-up. Conclusion Colorado 2TM system could provide immediate stabil ity of pelvic posterior ring and good maintenance of reduction effect, which is an effective method in the therapy of sacroil iac joint fracture and dislocation in Tile C pelvic fracture.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of minimally invasive plate fixation in treatment of unstable pelvic fractures. Methods Between May 2006 and December 2009, 21 patients with unstable pelvic fractures were treated. There were 13 males and 8 females with an average age of 39 years (range, 21-66 years). The causes of injury included traffic accident in 9 cases, falling from height in 6 cases, and heavy pound injury in 6 cases. The time from injury to hospitalization was 1 to 4 hours with an average of 2.8 hours. According to Tile’s classification, there were 12 cases of type B and 9 cases of type C. After admission, bone traction and exo fixation were performed, and minimally invasive plate fixation was given at 5-24 days after injury. Results All incisions healed by first intention, and no complications of nerve and vessel injuries occurred. According to the reduction criteria of Matta radiography, anatomic reduction was achieved in 16 cases, satisfactory reduction in 4 cases, and fair reduction in 1 case. All patients were followed up 12 months. The X-ray films showed all fractures healed at 2-4 months (mean, 2.6 months). According to Majeed clinical evaluation, the results were excellent in 12 cases, good in 7 cases, and fair in 2 cases. Conclusion Minimally invasive plate fixation can provide effective fixation, reconstruct pelvic ring, and reduce perioperative complications in the treatment of unstable pelvic fractures.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of unstable pelvic fractures treated by cannulated screw internal fixation with the assistance of three-dimensional (3D) printing insertion template.MethodsThe clinical data of 10 patients who underwent surgical treatment for unstable pelvic fractures by cannulated screw internal fixation with the assistance of 3D printing insertion template between May 2015 and June 2016 were retrospectively analysed. There were 7 males and 3 females with an average age of 37.5 years (range, 20-58 years). The causes of injury included falling from height in 5 cases, crushing from heavy load in 1 case, and traffic accidents in 4 cases. The interval from injury to admission was 1-5 hours (mean, 3.1 hours). The fracture situation included 6 cases of sacral fracture, 1 case of right sacroiliac joint dislocation, and 3 cases of iliac bone fracture. There were 10 cases of superior and inferior pubic rami fracture, including 3 cases on the left side (2 cases of suprapubic fracture adjacent to symphysis pubis), 2 cases on the right side, and 5 cases on the bilateral. All fractures were classified according to the Tile system, there were 4 cases of type B2, 1 of type B3, 4 of type C1, and 1 of type C2. The radiological outcome was evaluated by Matta scale, and the positions of the iliosacral screw and superior pubic ramus screw were evaluated according to 3D reconstruction of CT postoperatively. The functional outcome was evaluated by Majeed function scale.ResultsThe average time of each screw implantation was 30 minutes, and the average blood loss per screw incision was 50 mL. The time of implantation of each sacroiliac screw was 24-96 seconds (mean, 62 seconds), and the time of implantation of each suprapubic screw was 42-80 seconds (mean, 63.2 seconds). The hospitalization duration was 17-90 days (mean, 43.7 days). All incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 12-22 months (mean, 15.6 months). The radiological outcome was excellent in 8 cases and good in 2 cases according to Matta scale; and 3D reconstruction of CT demonstrated that all the 9 iliosacral screws were placed as type Ⅰ, and all the 13 suprapubic ramus screws were placed as grade 0 on the first postoperative day. No complication such as neurovascular injury, screw back out or rupture, or secondary fracture displacement was observed during the follow-up. At 6 months after operation, the X-ray films showed good fracture healing in all the 10 patients. The functional outcome was excellent in 9 cases and good in 1 case according to Majeed scale at 1 year after operation. One patient sustained Tile C2 pelvic disruption complicated with L5 nerve root injury achieved complete nervous functional recovery at last follow-up.ConclusionIt has advantages of precise screw insertion and lower risk of neurovascular injury to treat unstable pelvic fractures by cannulated screw internal fixation with the assistance of 3D printing insertion template, which can be a good alternative for the treatment of unstable pelvic fractures.
Objective To investigate the surgical technique and effectiveness of titanium elastic nail (TEN) assisted retrograde channel screw implantation of superior pubic branch. Methods The clinical data of 31 patients with pelvic or acetabular fractures treated with retrograde channel screw implantation in superior pubic branch between January 2021 and April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 16 cases were implanted with assistance of TEN (study group) and 15 cases were implanted under the guidance of C-arm X-ray machine (control group). There was no significant difference in gender, age, cause of injury, Tile classification of pelvic fracture, Judet-Letournal classification of acetabular fracture, and time from injury to operation between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time, fluoroscopy times, and intraoperative blood loss of each superior pubic branch retrograde channel screw were recorded during operation. X-ray films and three-dimensional CT were reexamined after operation, the quality of fracture reduction was evaluated by Matta score standard, and the position of channel screw was evaluated by screw position classification standard. The fracture healing time was recorded during the follow-up, and the postoperative functional recovery was evaluated by Merle D’Aubigne Postel score system at last follow-up. Results Nineteen and 20 retrograde channel screws of superior pubic branch were implanted in the study group and the control group, respectively. The operation time, fluoroscopy times, and intraoperative blood loss of each screw in the study group were significantly less than those in the control group (P<0.05). According to the postoperative X-ray films and three-dimensional CT, none of the 19 screws in the study group penetrated out of the cortical bone or into the joint, and the excellent and good rate was 100% (19/19); in the control group, there were 4 screws of cortical bone penetration, and the excellent and good rate was 80% (16/20); the difference between the two groups was significant (P<0.05). Matta score standard was used to evaluate the quality of fracture reduction, there was no patient in the two groups with poor reduction results, and the difference was not significant between the two groups (P>0.05). The incisions of the two groups healed by first intention, and there was no complication such as incision infection, skin margin necrosis, and deep infection. All patients were followed up 8-22 months, with an average of 14.7 months. There was no significant difference in healing time between the two groups (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the difference in functional recovery evaluated by the Merle D’Aubigne Postel scoring system between the two groups was not significant (P>0.05). Conclusion TEN assisted implantation technique can significantly shorten the operation time of retrograde channel screw implantation of superior pubic branch, reduce the times of fluoroscopy, and have less intraoperative blood loss and accurate screw implantation, which provides a new safe and reliable method for minimally invasive treatment of pelvic and acetabular fractures.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of 5G remote robotic surgery in the treatment of pelvic fractures. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 160 patients with pelvic fractures admitted between July 2023 and June 2024 who met the selection criteria. Among these patients, 80 underwent internal fixation surgery with the assistance of 5G remote robotic surgery (5G group), while 80 received local robotic surgical assistance (control group). Baseline characteristics, including gender, age, body mass index, disease duration, cause of injury, and fracture classification, were compared between the two groups, and no significant difference was found (P>0.05). The incision length, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, accuracy of screw placement, maximum residual displacement postoperatively, quality of fracture reduction, incidence of complications, Majeed pelvic function score and classification at last follow-up were recorded and compared between the two groups. Results In the 5G group, 180 screws were implanted during surgery, while 213 screws were implanted in the control group. The 5G group demonstrated significantly reduced intraoperative blood loss and shorter incision length compared to the control group (P<0.05). No significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of operation time or hospital stay (P>0.05). Radiographic evaluation revealed excellent and good reduction rates of 98.8% (79/80) in the 5G group and 97.5% (78/80) in the control group, while excellent and good screw placement accuracy rates were 98.3% (177/180) in the 5G group and 95.8% (204/213) in the control group. No significant difference was found between the two groups in maximum residual displacement, reduction quality, or screw placement accuracy (P>0.05). All patients were followed up 7-16 months (mean, 11.3 months), with no significant difference in follow-up duration between the groups (P>0.05). No perioperative or follow-up complication, such as wound infection, iatrogenic fractures, iatrogenic neurovascular injury, screw loosening or breakage, or nonunion, were observed in either group. The control group exhibited a worse degree of gait alteration compared to the 5G group (P<0.05), while no significant difference was found in incidences of squatting limitation or persistent pain (P>0.05). At last follow-up, no significant difference was observed between the groups in Majeed pelvic function scores or grading (P>0.05). Conclusion Compared with the local surgery group, 5G remote robotic surgery supported by remote expert technical guidance demonstrated smaller incision lengths, less intraoperative blood loss, and fewer postoperative complications, and was shown to be a precise, minimally invasive, safe, and reliable surgical method.
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of lumbopelvic fixation using the combination of closed multi-axial screws (CMAS) iliosacral fixation system and the posterior segmental spinal fixation for unstable sacral fractures. Methods Between January 2013 and November 2014, 25 patients (39 sides) with unstable sacral fractures were treated with lumbopelvic fixation using the combination of CMAS iliosacral fixation system and the posterior segmental spinal fixation. There were 17 males and 8 females, aged 19-55 years (mean, 33.9 years). The causes were traffic accident injury in 15 cases, falling injury from height in 8 cases, and crushing injury in 2 cases. The interval of injury and operation was 1-13 days (mean, 3.5 days). Fracture was classified as Denis type I in 2 sides, type II in 20 sides, and type III in 17 sides; nerve injury was rated as Gibbons grade I in 2 cases, grade II in 2 cases, grade III in 7 cases, and grade IV in 9 cases. The reduction quality was evaluated by Matta criterion, the clinical function outcome by Majeed, and nerve function by Gibbons criterion. Results The average operation time was 110 minutes (range, 80-150 minutes). The average blood loss was 570 mL (range, 250-1 400 mL). Superficial wound infection occurred in 2 patients, and was cured after debridement and antibiotic therapy. All patients were followed up for an average of 18 months (range, 15-22 months). Postoperative X-ray and CT examination showed clinical healing of sacral fractures at 8-12 weeks after operation (mean, 10 weeks). The mean removal time of internal fixation was 13 months (range, 12-20 months). No screw loosening and fracture, adhesion of internal fixation to surrounding tissue, and obvious electrolysis phenomenon occurred. According to Matta criterion, reduction was rated as excellent in 32 sides, good in 6 sides, fair in 1 side, and the excellent and good rate was 97.5%. According to Majeed functional scoring at last follow-up, the mean score was 84.7 (range, 64-98); the results were excellent in 18 cases, good in 5 cases, and fair in 2 cases, and the excellent and good rate was 92.0%. The nerve function was significantly improved when compared with preoperative one; nerve injury was rated as Gibbons grade I in 8 cases, grade II in 8 cases, grade III in 3 cases, and grade IV in 1 case. Conclusion Lumbopelvic fixation using the combination of CMAS iliosacral fixation system and the posterior segmental spinal fixation is a relatively effective fixation for unstable sacral fractures. Not only is the fracture fixation rigid for early full weight-bearing, but also nerve decompression can be performed which facilitates nerve function recovery.