Safe corridors for external skeletal pin insertion in rabbit hindlimb long bones.

Safe ESF pin corridors identified in rabbit hindlimbs may reduce iatrogenic injury risk during fracture repair.

This anatomical study by Pračková and Páral identified safe corridors for external skeletal fixation (ESF) pin insertion in rabbit hindlimb long bones to minimize iatrogenic complications. Using ten 12-week-old Hyla hybrid rabbits, researchers defined safe corridors as bone regions covered only by skin and subcutaneous tissue without interposed muscles or neurovascular structures. In the femur, the lateral femoral condyle was identified as the primary safe corridor. In the tibia, safe corridors were identified along craniomedial and medial surfaces with angular ranges of 73.8° to 80.0° at different anatomical levels, plus an additional lateral corridor near the malleolus. The study provides detailed topographic and cross-sectional anatomical descriptions to guide surgical planning. While the anatomical findings are thorough and potentially valuable for reducing soft tissue and nerve injuries during ESF procedures in rabbits, the authors acknowledge that further in vivo clinical studies are needed to validate the practical relevance of these corridors in actual surgical applications.

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