TissueDB/Simulators/Orthoplastic Reconstruction Simulator

The Orthoplastic Reconstruction Simulator is a low-cost long-bone fracture phantom, built from locally available materials, for training external fixator (Ex-Fix) placement.^[1] It represents a fractured long bone with a medullary cavity: two plastic-pipe segments packed with sand and vegetable oil sit on either side of a fracture gap, laid between two sponge pieces and covered with a felt sheet anchored by elastic bands, all mounted on a wooden base. The build source assigns no tissue to the sponge or felt. The trainee drills fixator-pin holes through the plastic pipe and applies an external fixator across the fracture.

Step 1. Use a 50 cm × 20 cm wooden board as the base. Place 10 pins or nails along the long sides as anchor pegs. The base follows the AmoSmile Physical Simulator design.

Step 2. Prepare two 15–20 cm segments from the source-specified 3 cm-diameter plastic pipe.

Source limitation: the source requires the pipe to be cut but does not identify the cutting tool. Use suitable pre-cut pipe or an appropriate locally available cutting method. Do not infer a pipe polymer from the source.

Step 3. Mix sand and vegetable oil and pack the mixture into both pipe segments as tightly as possible to simulate bone medulla.

Source limitation: the source does not specify the sand-to-oil ratio.

Step 4. Place one 45 cm × 10 cm sponge piece on the wooden board.

Step 5. Lay the two filled pipe segments on the sponge and leave a 0.5 cm gap between their ends. This gap represents the fracture site.

Step 6. Secure the pipe segments to the wooden board. Drive one screw through the lateral end of each pipe and into the board.

Step 7. Place a second 45 cm × 10 cm sponge piece over the pipes and the fracture gap. Use super glue at the edges if the sponge lifts.

Step 8. Prepare a 45 cm × 10 cm piece of felt.

Source limitation: the source requires the felt to be cut but does not identify the cutting tool. Use pre-cut felt or an appropriate locally available cutting method.

Step 9. Punch five holes along each long side of the felt, for 10 holes total.

Step 10. Place the felt over the upper sponge.

Step 11. Loop elastic bands through the felt holes and secure them to the pins or nails along the sides of the wooden board.

1. Drill fixator-pin holes through the plastic-pipe bone analogue using a drill bit 1 mm smaller than the Schanz pins.
2. Apply the external fixator across the 0.5 cm simulated fracture gap using the Ex-Fix kit.

Editorial QA: before training, confirm that the two pipe segments remain securely fixed to the board, the 0.5 cm fracture gap is maintained, and the felt and sponge layers do not prevent access to the planned fixator-pin sites.