The MINUS system was developed as a minimally invasive procedure that uses a diaphyseal cephalic extramedullary implant for the treatment of transtrochanteral fractures of the femur in elderly patients. The implant consists of a sliding screw coupled to a plate adapted to the minimally invasive technique. The surgical access is approximately three centimeters in length located on the lateral surface of the hip, below the projection of the small trochanter. A perfectly adapted instrument was used for the procedure, which also requires the use of an image intensifier, reducing surgery time and rate of bleeding. The objective of this study is to present a new instrument and implant, developed specifically for treatment with the minimally invasive technique, reducing the length of the conventional surgical access from 10 to three centimetres. This new implant was given the commercial name of MINUS System.
We report here the results of a retrospective study on 120 patients treated for transtrochanteric fractures of the femur using a minimally invasive technique with an extramedullary sliding pin as implant -which we denoted the MINUS System. The evaluation was carried out in in the postoperative period, and the levels of haemoglobin (Hb) and haematocrit (Ht), surgical time, radiological screening time and pain levels were recorded. Prior to the operation, mean Hb and Ht were 11.69 g/dl and 35.72%, respectively; in the immediate postoperative period, they were 10.35 g/dl and 32.4%, respectively. Mean operating time was 39.35 min. Average postoperative pain was assessed at 4.44 (on a scale of 1 to 10). The average time for screening was 1.07 min. Based on these criteria, we conclude that the minimally invasive technique of the MINUS System allows for a shorter operating time and a minimal blood loss in the treatment of transtrochanteric fractures of the femur.
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