The Iowa orthopaedic journal
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Contemporary locking plates promote biological fixation through indirect reduction techniques and by elevating the plate from the bone. They have improved fixation strength in osteoporotic bone. Periarticular locking plates are rapidly being adopted for bridge plating of periprosthetic femur fractures. ⋯ The difference in outcome may indicate that callus formation was promoted by interfragmentary motion secondary to loss of fixation. Conversely, in absence of fixation failure, callus formation was suppressed by stable fixation with a stiff locking plate construct which reduced interfragmentary motion. These observations suggest that locked plating constructs should be sufficiently flexible when applied for bridge plating of comminuted fractures to promote callus formation.