Reduction is the step where you virtually move fractured bone fragments back to their intended position before you plan the surgery. This article is for surgeons and planning staff working on Distal Radius Fracture (DRF) cases. For the full DRF workflow, see DRF: Distal Radius Fracture.
When the Reduction step appears
The Reduction step is part of every DRF case. It can also appear in other cases that have separate bone fragments. It comes right after Segmentation.
Why reduction comes first
The surgical plan and the guide are built on the reduced anatomy: the bone as it should be once the fracture is set. Reducing first means everything that follows is planned on the correct alignment.
The Reduction screen
The numbers in the screenshot below match this list.
The Pre-Op / Post-Op switch.
The bone's parts: Main and each fragment.
The 3D view, with the gizmo on the selected fragment.
The CT slice views. The selected fragment is outlined in blue.
Confirm Reduction.
Work through reduction
Approve the segmentation. The case opens at the Reduction step.
Check that Post-Op is selected in the Pre-Op / Post-Op toggle. Reduction opens on Post-Op, and fragments can only be moved there.
Click a fragment in the 3D view, or expand the bone in the side menu and click a fragment there.
Drag the gizmo arrows to move the fragment and the colored arcs to rotate it. The distance or angle shows while you drag. In a fixed Sagittal, Coronal or Axial view, use the step arrows at the edges of the view instead.
Check the alignment in the 2D slice views (axial, coronal and sagittal) when they are shown next to the 3D view. They help you judge alignment that is hard to see in 3D alone.
Switch to Pre-Op at any time to compare with the original fracture.
Click Confirm Reduction. A DRF case continues to Surgery Planning. Other procedures continue to Landmarks.
Tips
If a fragment does not move, check that you are on the Reduction step with Post-Op selected, that you can edit the plan (Editor or Approver case role), and that the case is not locked after approval.
If you change the reduction after you have started planning, confirming it replaces the plan and guide built on the old reduction, so you will need to redo them.