Taylor Spatial Frame - Very expensive bolts!!

[Random Orbital Bob]

This is the frame that the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital removed from my sons leg yesterday. It's called a Taylor Spatial Frame and the lower portion is an Ilizarov frame. It had been in place since last August. Wires, held firmly in place at each ring, went right through the bone and out the other side where they were fixed. The lower half was compressing a section of bone from which a diseased bit had been excised (2 inches). The upper half (with the expanding bolts) was where we stretched him over 2 months to remodel the bone removed in the osteotomy lower down.

The whole thing costs in the region of £20,000 and each bolt costs £600.

Today he is walking unaided by crutches in a regular broken leg type walking plaster.

Today is a good day

The phone is an iphone 5 for scale and my hand gives some perspective on how big the dam thing is!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

The quality of the engineering is superb with each of the bolts having a set of detents at exactly 1mm increments so it's easy to know when you've twiddled it by 1mm beyond just reading the scale.

Oddly enough....it wasn't made in China

 

[Eric The Viking]

Today he is walking unaided by crutches in a regular broken leg type walking plaster.

Today is a good day

Yes it very much is, isn't it.

Thanks for posting that - you rather made my day

E.

 

[xy mosian]

Good Bob, good news.

xy

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I tell you what guys...I'm like a dog with 2 .......

 

[novocaine]

and now it's completely worn out so they gave it to you to keep?



glad the process worked and your son is back on 2.

 

[Woodmonkey]

Amazing, can't it be reused?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I knew someone would ask that.....as I did myself yesterday on the ward!! The response I got was that the specialist medical supplies manufacturer who makes them (not sure who it is but think it may be Smith & Nephew) will not insure them (some sort of warranty I guess) unless they take new kit every time!!

I suggested they were "taking the mickey" and that that was a commercial decision rather than anything to do with metallurgy and the stresses on the metals. I intimated that it was no wonder the NHS is struggling with budgets if they're being gouged in this way by their supply chain because the specialist nurse specifically said that the manufacturer cites metal fatigue as the reason they wont insure frames for 2nd hand use.

Personally, I just cannot see this as being even close to the truth!! It just sounds like a money making scam to me and if so it's a bloody scandal. I suggested a decent sterilising protocol would sort them. In fairness, these are made from some sort of medical grade titanium alloy for lightness and strength but I pointed out that aircraft, similar in terms of high specification materials undergo a maintenance regimen which is rooted in the known response to stress tolerances of the metals....why cant these have the same? Lets face it, the forces they're subjected to are nowhere near the stresses in aviation.

I just think they're taking the mick.....any metallurgists here??

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Oh and thanks Phil

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I'm sure there are parts there a skip rat could reuse ...

 

[paulm]

Great news Rob

 

[novocaine]

at a guess no insurance will not touch them, not because of the reason stated but because a malpractice lawsuit costs a small fortune (never met a poor malpractice lawyer). 1 case would no dowt cast more than 100 frames.

you do wonder how they come up with the price though (how much to reckon is not because of the manufacturing or materials but because the maker needs to cover the insurance costs)

 

[Keithie]

Good news indeed Bob.

As for the high tech 'kit' they used ...it seems to me to exactly the sort ofthing the NHS is excellent at and why we are lucky to have the healthcare system we do. Imo for all its imperfections when it comes to some of the really important specialist stuff, it rarely lets folk down.

As for device re-usability I suspect it's about manufacturer litigation management, sadly. If it can be used twice, can it be used 3,4 or more times under warranty. What if it failed..might a family, possibly quite reasonably sue if they were given a third-hand device for their child and it failed? If the manufacturer is looking to a third party to refurb the kit after each use and then it fails where does the liability fall ..manufacturer or refurbisjer ...and what reputational damage does the manufacturer suffer even if it isnt technically their fault. Sad realities of modern commerce.

Who knows what the truth is !

Let's hope it can be re-purposed in another country where folk would be so pleased to have a chance of such help that users wouldnt dream of sueing if a second hand device failed!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Funny you should say that but Stanmore said they do send some to Africa.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Good news

Hope your son is doing well and continues to recover.

 

[Harbo]

They are not allowed to reissue to other patients anything already "issued". Though I'm surprised they cannot use bits of that.
Applies to unused drugs, Stoma bags, incontinent bags etc etc

Rod

 

[SteveF]

seems such a waste tbh
looking forward to your router fence fine adjuster

Steve

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

They are not allowed to reissue to other patients anything already "issued". Though I'm surprised they cannot use bits of that.
Applies to unused drugs, Stoma bags, incontinent bags etc etc

Rod

Wow...I'd love to know what the NHS wide cost of that policy is!!!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

seems such a waste tbh
looking forward to your router fence fine adjuster

Steve

I was toying with the idea of sinking the entire frame into a clear resin and then giving it some kind of wooden frame as a permanent souvenir for the nipper. But those bolts do rather lend themselves to the most fabulously finely adjustable something don't they