Kuntscher clover leaf medullary nail, which consists of a single piece of vitallium formed into a long, straight, hollow cylindrical piece with an open base that forms a "C" at both ends; the outer edges of the nail are rounded and the ends are bevelled; on the top, there is a small, rectangular op…
Kuntscher clover leaf medullary nail, which consists of a single piece of vitallium formed into a long, straight, hollow cylindrical piece with an open base that forms a "C" at both ends; the outer edges of the nail are rounded and the ends are bevelled; on the top, there is a small, rectangular opening just before one end.
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Used at Kingston General Hospital by Dr. Charles Sorbie
Dates
1950
circa 1950
Date Remarks
Vitallium used for implants from 1950 onwards.
Material
metal: silver
Inscriptions
One side of the nail has, "10 X 46 // VITALLIUM" stamped into the metal.
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-E2-10
Length
46.2 cm
Width
0.9 cm
Depth
0.9 cm
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Dimension Notes
Length 46.2 cm x Width 0.9 cm x Depth 0.9 cm
Condition Remarks
The metal shows some wear and a few deep scratches; no corrosion is visible.
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Book
Person
Reference Comments
Dr. Charles Sorbie; "Surgical Instruments & Hospital Equipment," 23rd Edition, by Downs Surgical PLC, c. 1982, p. G45
Research Facts
The medullary nail is used for stabilizing fractured femurs; Gerhart Kuntscher developed them in 1938 from stainless steel and vitallium; this advanced the treatment of long bone (femur and tibia) fractures and was a breakthrough development in 1939 -- just before World War II; allied pilots who were shot down in Europe and broke their femurs were treated with this type of rod; some escaped and brought the technology back; German pilots were often back flying in six weeks with this type of treatment for femoral fractures; the slot at the one end was used to knock in and pull out the nail.