Open source surgical fracture table
Project summary
Orthopedic fracture tables are essential for performing orthopedic surgeries, but their high cost (up to US$200,000) hinder surgical care accessibility in low-resource regions. Many health facilities in these regions use models are often outdated and hard to maintain due to unavailability of spare parts, and yet donations received are often not tailored to these settings. The first ever open source surgical fracture table was developed for US$3,000 cost of materials - a 98% reduction in cost compared to commercial models. This table is largely made from 3D printed parts using a RepRap-class desktop 3D printer and has similar performance to commercial models. It is purely mechanically operated, can adjust to different ranges as needed by the surgeon for different procedures, can support mechanical loading for over 130 kg, is radiolucent to allow for C-arm image intensification or for mobile radiographic films to be taken, is able to position the patient in the supine or lateral position, and is modular to allow for traction on one or both limbs and for positioning of the injured and non-injured limbs separately.
Project goals
- Redesign the open source surgical fracture table
- Validation of the open source surgical fracture table
- Navigate regulatory pathway for clinical adoption
Related links
Design files: https://osf.io/mx92p/
Publication link: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270328
Lit. review: https://www.appropedia.org/Literature_review_for_the_surgical_fracture_table