History of IM Nailing
Fracture healing in humans is multi-factorial. Our treatment of fractures has evolved significantly over the past 100+years. Advances in surgical approaches, biomechanics, implant design, metal alloy composition, manufacturing processes, surgical tables, surgical education, and surgical indications have resulted in a renaissance in orthopedic fracture surgery.
At Satori, we would like to continue that evolution by introducing our novel intramedullary (IM) nailing system - the Active IntraMedullary (AIM) tibial intramedullary nails. These intramedullary nails allow for surgeon-modulated, dynamic axial motion to expedite fracture healing.
In order to understand how we arrived at the present technology,
it is important to understand where past innovators have been.
A brief overview of intramedullary fixation
1875
Franz König
First case of internal fixation of a femoral neck fracture with a steel gimlet
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1897
Julius Nicolaysen
Inserts a steel intramedullary nail percutaneously for fracture fixation
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World War I (1914-1918)
Ernest William Hey Groves
Performs open nailing with metal nails
1931
Marius Nygaard Smith-Petersen
Utilizes stainless steel nail for a femoral neck fracture
1940
Gerard Küntscher inserts first V-shaped stainless steel nail
in a human patient in Kiel, Germany
Late 1940's
Küntscher develops and inserts the cloverleaf nail
1953
Modney and Bambara add transfixion capability to the intramedullary nail
1960s
Compression plating fixation for fractures booms.
Cephalomedullary nails introduced
1974
With the utilization of intra-operative fluoroscopy,
intramedullary nailing booms.
Grosse-Kempf nail is introduced
1988
Brumback et al demonstrate 98% healing with use of a statically locked reamed intramedullary nail
1990s
Newer titanium alloys introduced which lowered the implant elastic modulus closer to bone and improved union rates.
Cephalomedullary nails advanced.
2000s-present
Improved implant design expands indications for intramedullary nailing
to more proximal and distal diaphyseal fractures