A method for designing plates in treatments of proximal humeral fracture and distal radial fracture

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to quickly design fixation plates for fractured proximal humerus and distal radius according to the requirements of surgical treatment. Therefore, a new method to quickly design cloverleaf plate appropriate for proximal humerus and volar plate appropriate for distal radius is put forward. First, three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction models of fractured proximal humerus and distal radius were generated based on deforming mean parametric models of proximal humerus and distal radius, respectively. Second, based on region-of-interest marked on the 3D reconstruction model of proximal humerus and distal radius, abutted surfaces of cloverleaf plate and volar plate were established, respectively. Then, parametric abutted surface was established after setting rational parameters for the surface of the cloverleaf plate. Parametric abutted surface of volar plate was established using the same method. Finally, parametric cloverleaf plate and volar plate are generated through thickening their respective parametric abutted surfaces. The parametric plates, acting as templates, accelerate and simplify the design process and therefore allow users to construct plate with editing valid parameters easily. Group of cloverleaf plates and volar plates with different sizes were generated quickly, showing that the proposed method is feasible and effective.