Plate types vary with different bones and different fracture locations. One of the common types is a dynamic compression plate or DCP. The screw holes in this kind of plate are angled away from the centre of the device so when they are tightened up the bone fragments are pulled towards the centre, providing compression. The smaller plates are only 1mm thick which permits bending to fit the bony area and is mostly used for fractures of the distal ulna and lateral malleolus. Plates have been designed to fit fractures which occur near joints, reducing the size of the devices and increasing the options for fixation.
Ninety-five degree angled plates are typically used in fixation of fractures of the upper femoral areas so that the normal alignment of the bone can be restored. Surgeons need to be three dimensional thinkers to insert this kind of fixation and accurately recreate the anatomical relationships in the area. Pelvic and acetabular fractures are more often fixed with reconstruction plates as they are thinner than dynamic compression plates and more easily mouldable. Fractures often occur close to or just below the prostheses of joint replacements and they may be fixed by bigger plates and cerclage wiring.
High levels of fracture stability can be provided by compression of the fragments and a good restoration of anatomical alignment by the fixation. If firmly stabilised and without any fragment gap then the fracture will heal by primary healing. Absorption of the dead bone at the site of fracture occurs by the action of osteoclasts, with blood vessels growing into the region and then bone producing cells proliferating. Disruption of the blood supply by the plate can produce some osteoporosis under the plate, leading to reduced bone strength from this and the screw holes once the plate is removed, necessitating careful decisions about the amounts of force to be applied to the area.
The initial part of performing internal fixation is the exposure of the fracture site and the removal of the accumulated haematoma, followed by aligning the fragments as close to their original position as possible. Fracturing a bone disrupts the blood supply and the periosteal membrane provides the remaining blood supply to the area, a blood supply the surgeons take care not to disrupt by stripping the membrane from the bone during operation. This could delay the healing process due to reduction of blood supply. Fractures which are unstable or have multiple fragments have to be spanned by a bridge plate to restore bone length, rotation and alignment although this fixation cannot take significant load.
The LISS (Less Invasive Surgical Stabilisation) plating system is a recently developed technique which reduces the contact between the metal and the bone or periosteum, reducing the potential for disruption of the blood supply in the fracture area. Modern designs contour more effectively to the bony anatomy and allow for locking of the screws, which are both advantageous by maintaining the fracture in the correct position whilst allowing increased forces to be applied to it in the healing period. These new designs are most useful in fixing the ends of the bones in fractures of the tibia, femur, radius and humerus.
If there is enough room for easy fixation and the fracture is of a more stable type then conventional plating techniques may be used for fixing breaks of the shafts of bones such as the radius, ulna and humerus. Locking screws are more appropriate if the bone is osteoporotic or the fixation options are limited. Future development will likely lead towards locking techniques being the first option for all fractures, but they are much more expensive and wider use awaits reduction in costs. If the costs of revising the fixation due to malunion by conventional plating are factored in then the more expensive initial system looks more cost neutral.
Nails
It was in the 1930s that Kuntscher refined the intramedullary nailing technique which then became the treatment of choice for shaft fractures of the femur. Humeral and tibial fractures as well as femoral breaks nearer the bone ends were the next progression. Early joint movement and weight bearing walking is allowed by this.
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