The clinical use of the ZESPOL osteosynthesis. I. The ZESPOL osteosynthesis of shaft and distal end of thigh bone.

The clinical application of ZESPOL method has started in 1982 in the MSW hospital in Warsaw and continued at the Department of Orthopedics of Warsaw Medical University and in Jonston hospital in Lublin. The method has been widespread throughout the following years and nowadays it is used at approximately 250 surgery departments. It is estimated that up till now over 50 000 surgical osteosynthesis have been made using the ZESPOL method.

[Photoelastic study of fragment compression in fracture of the femoral neck stabilized with the Zespol hip fixator].

The paper presents analysis of the forces within fracture line of femoral neck stabilized with Zespol hip fixator. The investigation has been carried out on specifically designed model of the proximal femur; the forces were measured in photoelastic fashion with the use of epoxy resin cubes as dynamometers. The magnitude of forces within fracture line has been verified and related to the position of the platforms of the screws versus the plate before tightening the nuts.

[Polfix fixator in treating fractures and disorders of long bone healing--introductory report].

Polfix, a new method for stable osteosynthesis is presented. This is an evolution of Zespol method used for last 10 years but is mechanically stronger with better elastic properties. Six operated cases allow for initial conclusions only.

[A new type of versatile fixator Polfix].

Theoretical foundations, principles of construction, surgical technique and early clinical findings concerning patients treated with the use of new POLFIX fixator have been presented. It is a small clamp type fixator used (like ZESPOL) for both external and internal osteosynthesis but with better biomechanical and clinical properties. The construction, however, is more complex.

Zespol. An original method of stable osteosynthesis.

Poor clinical results with autocompression plates and six years of biochemical investigations, have led to the conclusion that a plate should not be tightened directly to a bone. Consequently, in 1979, platform screws and special autocompression plates were invented. These were later developed into the original system of stable osteosynthesis called Zespol.