INTRAOPERATIVE PRESSURE MEASUREMENT USING A MICROTIP INTRAMEDULLARY PROBE

The implantation of femoral prostheses and intramedullary nailing for fracture stabilisation are well-established techniques in traumatology . Nevertheless, the obvious biomechanical advantages of intramedullary splinting are partly offset by occasional disturbances of pulmonary c irculation and function. These disorders of pulmonary function are app arently correlated with an operation-induced increase in intramedullar y pressure. A simple, low-invasive and reliable system for the measure ment of intramedullary pressure is presented. The heart of the system is a microtip probe that converts changes in pressure into electrical impulses, which are then filtered and amplified in the pressure measur ing system (PMS).