First clinical experience with a novel forearm boom

Abstract

The optimal forearm boom should facilitate dynamic investigation of the wrist and approaches for wrist arthroscopy. It should be safely fixed at the operating table without any contact with the patient. It must be compatible with the arm of any patient and should be sterilisable. Repositioning of distal radius fractures, fluoroscopy and insertion of Kirschner-wires should not be restricted. According to these criteria the current investigators designed a new forearm boom which was subsequently used in 19 wrist arthroscopies and 9 distal radius fracture fixations. Twenty-eight patients with heights between 150 and 205 cm and forearm lengths between 17.5 to 37 cm were treated. Preoperatively, wrist motion was tested in those 19 wrists, that underwent wrist arthroscopy, before and after fixation by the forearm boom and any restriction due to usage of the novel device was found. The new forearm boom satisfied all of the criteria cited above. Therefore the current authors believe the new forearm boom may be valuable for the indications mentioned.