Locking plates for distal femur fractures does an increased working length improve healing?

Distal femur locking plates have become a very popular means of internal fixation because of their ability to provide stable distal periarticular fixation. In spite of this enthusiasm however several studies have reported significant problems with healing. In the distal femur it is recognized that locking plate fixation may be too rigid if used in certain configurations that limit the essential micro movement required for biological healing. Implant failure may arise from rigid configurations that cause excessive hardware stress concentrations. In an attempt to address these problems longer plates and an increased working length have been proposed to reduce construct rigidity. The purpose of our study is to investigate whether an increased working length translates into improved healing.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Division of Orthopaedic Surgery

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Koller, Ian M

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Maqungo, S
• Walters, J

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/2844

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/2844