A Helping Hand for Surgeons

A new three-dimensional (3D) arm support acts as a third hand for surgeons, helping to correctly position the arm of the patient during orthopedic and traumatology operations.

The Trimano 3D support arm was specially developed for operations to the shoulder and upper arm area, and it includes a sterile armrest and an adapter that is used to locate and hold the patient's arm securely in the required position throughout the operation. The assist device offers unrestricted maneuverability, allowing rapid and accurate repositioning that can be carried out at any time during the operation. The patient's arm can also be lifted off the support and moved freely in order to monitor the results of the operation.


The initial preparation for positioning the patient's arm can be made in the induction room, where it is positioned on the support arm and an arm pad. Then, in the operating theatre, the arm pad is replaced with a sterile armrest. An adapter that connects the armrest with the support makes it easy to mount it into place, resulting in greater handling and control for the user; intraoperative modification of the support arm position is made by a "click and move” locking mechanism. The Trimano 3D support arm is a product of Maquet (Rastatt, Germany), and can be fixed to any operating room (OR) table's accessory rail.

"Deploying the support arm brings about a significant improvement in the work process. Thanks to the secure, fixed site of the operation, the work can be completed more easily and it takes less time, allowing us to concentrate 100% on our core tasks,” said Stefan Studier-Fischer, M.D., a senior physician in the department for shoulder and elbow surgery at the Berufsgenossenschaftlichen Unfallklinik (Ludwigshafen; Germany). "It also means that the assistant physician, who would normally hold the patient's arm and move it to the required positions during the operation, can take on more demanding tasks.”

Related Links:
Maquet
Berufsgenossenschaftlichen Unfallklinik