Figure 3

Preparation of the antibiotic nail. Loading the antibiotic nail: With one end of the chest tube closed with a Kocher (A), sterile mineral oil is poured to coat the inner surface of the plastic tube. Using a cement gun to fill the chest tube mold (B), the mineral oil is allowed to leak out under pressure. The carbon fiber nail is inserted into the antibiotic impregnated cement (C), making sure to leave the threads exposed for the aiming arm. Once placement of the nail is adequate, the mold is placed in a cool sterile saline bath (D) to prevent the plastic from melting during the exothermic stage.