To describe the application of 3D virtual surgical planning and patient-specific 3D-printed cutting guides for the management of complex lower-limb deformities in young patients.
Approach:
Study Design: Retrospective, single-center study including 21 patients who underwent surgery using intramedullary nails for complex lower-limb deformities correction.
Preoperative Planning: Virtual 3D femoral and tibial models were created for planning and designing patient-specific cutting guides.
Evaluation Metrics: Patients were evaluated for preoperative and postoperative deformity angles, time to osteotomy union, and complications.
Key Findings:
Excellent correction (residual angulation ≤5°) achieved in 19 out of 23 extremities (83%).
Acceptable correction (6–10° residual angulation) in 4 out of 23 extremities (17%).
Mean time to radiographic union was 8.5 weeks (range, 4.5–18 weeks).
No major intraoperative or early postoperative complications occurred.
Interpretation:
Three-dimensional virtual planning and patient-specific cutting guides improve the accuracy of preoperative planning and assist in surgical execution for lower-limb deformities.
Limitations:
Single-center study may limit generalizability.
Small sample size of 21 patients.
Conclusion:
3D virtual planning and patient-specific cutting guides are effective adjuncts for correcting complex lower-limb deformities using intramedullary nails in pediatric patients.
