Computer Aided Automatic Fixator Design

Abstract

A fixator is a device used in the lengthening of bones (distraction osteogenesis) and in the correction of bone deformities. It is employed for therapeutic purposes in various fields, including orthopaedic trauma, paediatric orthopaedics, deformity surgery, and other surgical specialities. In this study, the computer-aided design (CAD) and system analysis of a fixator device, manually used in the Limb Reconstruction System, for its automated operation have been conducted. The aim of this work is to theoretically achieve the bone lengthening process by employing an electric motor sensitive to a pressure sensor that controls the mechanism used in the bone lengthening process.

The driving motor of the mechanism will be continuously operated by a pressure-sensitive sensor until the amount of bone lengthening reaches the targeted value. Two different materials are utilised in the study. The first involves the design of the fixator in the computer-aided design (CAD) programme, while the second encompasses coding for the system to ensure the motor operates at the desired pressure level. The outputs obtained from the study are analysed to determine whether the fixator accomplishes its task through the motor. The values observed indicate the success of the process. This newly designed fixator system, different from manually operated ones in the literature, will contribute to research in this field with its automatic usability facilitated by a pressure-sensitive sensor, providing ease of use and uniqueness.