CAMTA announces FIRST SIGN NAIL placed in Ecuador!

Above-patient with obvious fractured femur in traction

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If you have been following this blog through the entire Mission 2008 of CAMTA to Quito, Ecuador you will remember the SIGN nail system that I described.

The SIGN nail is a way of fixing fractures of long bones -- the femur, tibia and humerus -- with a nail and without needing a fluoroscopy unit in the operating room.

Dr. Marc Moreau, President of CAMTA and Dr. Luis Piedrahita visited the Hospital Pablo A. Suarez in Quito and met a group of young and enthusiastic orthopedic surgeons. They returned and showed off the SIGN nail system which consists of dozens of instruments and nails of various sizes. An agreement was reached.

AP and Lateral views of the this patient's broken femur.

Below - SIGN nail is aligning the fracture. Screws at the top hold it in place.

Here's the lower or distal screw locking the nail at the bottom of the femur.

Just one week ago the first SIGN nail was inserted at the Pablo Suarez hospital. These pictures show the before and after views.

Why are we so excited?

Because this was an opportunity for a man who suffered a broken bone to get it fixed with the chance for a PERFECT result; a chance to ambulate normally; to work and play. Without the solid fixation of these long bone fractures there would have always been a significant deformity and maybe permanent limp if its a leg or an ugly looking arm if the humerus was fractured.

And we are excited because this is the first SIGN nail to be inserted in Ecuador!!!

NOW THERE IS ONE SMALL DETAIL:

Each SIGN nail system is supplied at cost by a charity in Richland, Washington.

It is $20,000 at the moment for a complete set of surgical instruments and a complete set of nails which come in different sizes and lengths. Our first SIGN nail system for the Pablo Suarez hospital was made possible by the Rotary Club of St. Albert near Edmonton, Alberta.

THANKS to the Rotary Club of St. Albert for making this SIGN nail system possible!

Would you like more information? Click here to go to the website of the charity that makes the nail system.