10
Chapter 3
Surgical Technique
The fourth wire should be arched and tensioned in the same manner as the wires
described above. Once wires are properly tensioned, the surgeon should cut and
curl wires to prevent unintentional injury.
All nuts and points of tightening should be locked securely. Make sure skin is not
tenting at any of the wire sites. If it is, release it with a #11 blade. At this point,
a final check should be made to ensure all connections are tight and secure.
After all wires/pins are placed, it is necessary to secure the boot portion of the
fixator to the leg. The sterile liner should be wrapped around the lower leg, using
the Velcro® tabs to secure the liner in place. Care should be taken to not have
wrinkles or folds in the liner. These Velcro® tabs should align with the top of the
boot component.
The boot portion of the frame can be adjusted to different diameters to
accommodate differing patient anatomy. These adjustments are made by
adjusting the tabs at the back of the boot. The SIDEKICK® EZ FRAME™ features
three adjustable Velcro® straps.
The EZ FRAME™ system also features locking straps that may be used to
post-operatively replace standard Velcro® straps. To tighten the straps, release
the locking clamp by rotating the purple locking mechanism into a horizontal
position with the white key. Once tightened, close the clamp and rotate the key
and locking mechanism back into a vertical orientation.