Assembly of an SK ESF Clamp

By IMEX Veterinary

Assembly of an SK External Skeletal Fixation clamp

Disassembling SK ESF clamps for cleaning purposes often results in improper reassembly when one is unfamiliar with the SK ESF clamp; leading to frustration on behalf of the surgeon. A quick and simple method for correct assembly of the SK external fixation clamp can eliminate this frustration while providing the surgeon or technician with an easy-to-remember technique.

Simply follow these steps to provide an easy solution and reduce unnecessary reassembly during surgery.

• Select two mating clamp body halves: one smooth and one with a single threaded hole
• Place the halves together to form the rod gripping channel
• Important: Begin with the secondary bolt by placing it through the clear half and then screwing into the threaded hole of the opposite clamp half.
• Insert the primary pin-gripping bolt, opposite from the side of the secondary bolt, through the remaining holes in both body halves
• Finish by securing the primary pin-gripping bolt with a hex nut applied to the threaded end

The caveat for achieving proper assembly each and every time is to always start with the secondary bolt. This will prevent the most common error of initially using the primary pin gripping bolt and hex nut for securing the clamp halves.