Summary

A simple but effective method that facilitates surgical treatment.

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of templating with a plate placed on the skin before incision under fluoroscopy.

Method

Between 2021 September and 2024 February, 27 patients who underwent surgery for long bone fractures and underwent plate templating and 28 patients who did not undergo templating were evaluated. After the patients were sterile stained and draped, the plate positioned on the skin and the fracture line were seen in fluoroscopy and marking was made on the plate. Patients were evaluated and compared with each other in terms of operative times, intraoperative scopy shot counts, difference between skin incision length and plate length, and postoperative pain scores.

Results

The mean age of the patients in the first group was 24.08±8.6 years, while the mean age of the patients in the second group was 32.7±8.3 years. (p>0.05) The mean operative time of the patients who underwent templating was 40.35±12.01 min, while the mean operative time of the patients who did not undergo templating was 53.77±7.81 min. (p<0.001) The number of preoperative scoping shots in the patients who underwent templating was 2.8±0.7. The total number of shots in patients with templating was 10.8±3.1, while the number of scopy shots in patients without templating was 17.6±5.1. (p<0.001) The difference between incision length and plate length was 1.01±0. 46 cm in patients with templating and 2.55±0.79 cm in patients without templating. (p<0.001) When both groups were evaluated in terms of postoperative pain scores, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups. (VAS; 6.41±0.93-6.27±0.95, p>0.05)

Conclusion

Patients who underwent plate templating before surgery had shorter surgical times, fewer scopy shots and shorter incision lengths. Therefore, we think that plate templating before surgery would be advantageous.
However, in clavicle fractures with atypical bone structure, templating with anatomical plate ensures that the incision site and shape are appropriate.