TOTBİD Dergisi

TOTBİD Dergisi

2012, Cilt 11, Sayı, 1     (Sayfalar: 015-019)

Basic characteristics and main differences of locking plates and fixation methods

Haluk Ağuş 1, Ali Reisoğlu 1

1 İzmir Tepecik Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, 2. Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Kliniği, İzmir

DOI: 10.5606/totbid.dergisi.2012.02
Görüntüleme: 827
 - 
İndirme : 2226

The main stabilizing factor for the internal fixation maintained by the conventional plates is the friction force due to contact between the plate and bone, by tightening the screws. This friction force may damage the periosteal blood supply, leading to unfavorable effects on fracture healing. As the conventional plates are not angle-stable implants, they cannot exert long-term resistance to the deforming forces. However, the angular stability is the basic characteristic of the locking plates. They do not apply any pressure on the periosteum without any need for prebending before application. They can resist to greater shearing forces, as all screws carry the deforming forces equally with their increased bone-metal contact surfaces. It must be kept in mind that the selection of an appropriate plate length and screw density is an important prognostic factor for the internal fixation maintained by locking plates. Therefore, they are considered biocompatible implants. These locking plates are specifically used for the fixation of osteoporotic and comminuted metaphyseal fractures of the long bones.

Anahtar Kelimeler : Locking plates; osteoporotic fractures; periprosthetic fractures; relative stability