ANALYSIS OF THREE TYPES
OF FIXATION OF THE WEIL OSTEOTOMY
Journal
of Foot and Ankle Surgery
in
revision
Craig T. Jex, D.P.M., St. John North Shores Hospital,
26755 Ballard
Road, Harrison,Township, MI 48045
Steve Rundell, B.S.,College of Engineering, Michigan
State University,
A414-C East Fee Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1316
Chanda J. Wan, D.P.M, St. John North Shores Hospital,
26755 Ballard Road,
Harrison, Township, MI 48045, (586) 466-5379, Fax:
(586) 465-7217, Chanda.wan@stjohn.org
Brian MacDonald, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S., St. John North
Shores Hospital,
26755 Ballard Road, Harrison Township, MI 48045
Roger C. Haut, Ph.D.,
College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Engineering,
Michigan State University, A414-E East Fee Hall, East Lansing, MI
48824-1316
The Weil osteotomy is a
popular method for the treatment of lesser metatarsalgia. A variety of fixation methods exist for
lesser metatarsal osteotomies. This
study assessed three methods of fixation for the Weil osteotomy. Forty sawbone models were divided equally
into four groups: a control and Weil osteotomies that were fixated with either
two crossed Kirschner wires (0.045” k-wires), or Synthes[1]
noncannulated 2.0mm cortical screws, and or Osteomed[2]
cannulated 2.4mm cortical screws. The
control group consisted of intact lesser ray sawbones. Each specimen was then stressed through a
computer-controlled hydraulic tensile testing machine while recording maximum
load, energy, and stiffness. The mean
load to failure of the groups was control, 62.9N; k-wire, 22.9N; cannulated
screw, 31.3N; noncannulated screw, 19.9N.
There was no statistical difference between the three groups of fixation
methods in terms of the maximum load supported. The mean energy to failure of the control was 326J; K-wire, 79J;
cannulated screw, 163J; noncannulated screw, 66J. The cannulated screw allowed for a statistically greater amount
of energy to reach failure than the noncannulated screw (p<0.05). The mean structural stiffness of the control
was 7.3 N/mm; k-wire, 2.8N/mm; cannulated screw 3.3 N/mm; noncannulated screw,
3.2N/mm. There was no statistical
difference between the three groups of fixation methods in terms of structural
stiffness.The current results indicated that there was a trend towards better
biomechanical stability with the 2.4mm cannulated screw than the 2.0mm
noncannulated screw for the fixation of the Weil osteotomy in the clinical
setting.
[1] Synthes
Paoli, PA 19301
[2]
Osteomed
Addison, TX 75001
Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratories,
College
of Osteopathic Medicine,
Michigan
State University,
East Lansing,
Michigan 48824
Please address correspondence to:
Roger C. Haut, Ph.D.,
Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory,
College
of Osteopathic Medicine,
A414 East
Fee Hall,
Michigan
State University,
East Lansing,
MI 48824,
Tel: (517)355-0320,
Fax: (517)353-0789,
E-mail:
haut@msu.edu