Three-dimensional printed guides for screw placement in equine navicular bones.
Authors: Perez-Jimenez Erik E, Biedrzycki Adam H, Morton Alison J, McCarrel Taralyn M
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
Surgical stabilisation of navicular bone fractures in horses remains challenging, particularly when precise screw placement is critical to outcome. Perez-Jimenez and colleagues compared custom 3D-printed surgical guides against traditional aiming devices for cortical screw placement in an ex vivo study using eight pairs of equine forelimbs, measuring operative time, fluoroscopic image requirements, and screw positioning accuracy. The 3D-printed guide reduced surgical duration by approximately one-third (14.1 minutes versus 20.7 minutes) and dramatically decreased radiation exposure, requiring just 18 fluoroscopic images compared to 40 with conventional techniques, whilst achieving equivalent screw placement as verified by independent surgical assessment. Despite the ex vivo nature of this work, the substantial reduction in operative time and intraoperative imaging carries genuine clinical relevance—shortened anaesthetic periods reduce systemic stress and post-operative complications, whilst reduced fluoroscopy exposure benefits both patient and surgical team. For equine practitioners managing navicular fractures, these findings suggest that patient-specific 3D guides merit serious consideration as they appear to streamline technically demanding procedures without compromising precision, potentially improving outcomes through more efficient surgical management.
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Practical Takeaways
- •3D-printed surgical guides can streamline navicular bone screw procedures, saving 6-7 minutes per case and reducing radiation exposure by half — potentially valuable for surgical efficiency and staff safety
- •The technique maintains accuracy compared to conventional methods, making it a viable alternative without compromising placement quality
- •Consider exploring 3D-printed guides for routine navicular surgical cases to decrease operative time and fluoroscopy dependence
Key Findings
- •3D-printed guides reduced surgery duration by 6.6 minutes compared to traditional aiming devices (20.7 min vs 14.1 min, p<0.01)
- •3D-printed guides reduced intraoperative fluoroscopic images by 55% (18 images vs 40 images, p<0.01)
- •No difference in screw placement accuracy was detected between 3D-printed guide and traditional aiming device methods
- •3D-printed guides achieved equivalent surgical outcomes with reduced operative time and radiation exposure