Efficacy of Transosseous Tunnel Placement for Triple Endobutton Plate in Acromioclavicular Joint Reconstruction: A Three‐Dimensional Printing Guide Design Technology

Abstract

Objective Explore an accurate transosseous tunnel drilling method based on three‐dimensional (3D) printing technology for acromioclavicular joint reconstruction (ACD), design a guide design, and evaluate its accuracy. Methods Using Mimics software to reconstruct 100 cases of acromioclavicular joint computed tomography (CT) data. In design 2, the non‐collinear tunnel is superimposed on the 3D model, and a virtual drilling is performed between the clavicle and the coracoid using a triple inner gusset. Then, in the Geomagic Studio software model, an elliptical plane is calculated and extracted as a guide design for precise drilling. Then put the design and the 3D shoulder model together for 3D printing. Ten lengths were measured, and the effects of the virtual model, the actual model, and the guide rail design were compared. Results We successfully compared 10 parameters of 3D virtual model and actual model. There was no significant difference between actual and virtual bone tunnels in 10 measurements (P > 0.05). Conclusions The accuracy of ACD combined with 3D printing guidance design technology in the transosseous tunnel of adult shoulder is reliable.

Keywords

• Acromioclavicular joint dislocation
• Guide design
• Three‐dimensional printing
• Transosseous tunnel placement
• Triple Endobutton