12
DePuy Synthes
LISS DF
Technique Guide
2
Position the patient
Position the patient supine on a radiolucent table. The leg
should be freely movable. The contralateral leg can be placed
in an obstetric leg holder. Place the knee joint line slightly
distal to the hinged part of the table to allow flexion of the
knee during surgery.
Avoid too strong a traction and a fully extended knee, as the
forces of the gastrocnemius muscle would draw the distal
fragment into recurvatum. This does not only make the re-
duction of the fracture difficult, but also endangers the po-
pliteal artery and vein.
In very short distal fragments, it is recommended to flex the
lower leg to approximately 60°. This also reduces the traction
force of the gastrocnemius muscle.
Preparation
