Surgical Fixation - Plates Flashcards
What is osteosynthesis?
reconstruction of a fractured bone by surgical and mechanical means
In what situations are plates used?
when fracture stability can be achieved and enhanced by compression at the fracture site by forcing bone fragments together
What is the ‘bridging technique’?
in complex fractures of many fragments, complete restoration may be achieved at the risk of damaging blood supply.
the two main bony shaft fragments may be linked in this case and small fragments remain unfixed, but with intact blood supply so they may still heal in overall bone healing
What is the aim of plate fixation?
to achieve load sharing between the plate and bone until the healing bone is strong enough to take all the load efficiently
What is stress reversal?
when the plate bends backwards and forwards as an incomplete bone-plate construct is present which leads to early fatigue failure of the plate
Where in the body are plates commonly used?
around joints
forearm bones which rotate around each other
pelvis - around the acetabulum
on the jaw and face
What is an autogenous bone graft?
a bone graft taken from elsewhere on the patient
What is eccentric loading?
uneven loading along a bones axis
How does eccentric loading occur?
commonly if soft tissues have been stripped off one side of the bone but are intact on the other
How is bone compression achieved?
wires or tension bands
What main disadvantage is there to plating?
lots of soft tissue stripping causes a delay in healing and added infection risk
Why are plates placed on the tension side of a bone that is eccentrically loaded
the plate compresses the side in tension while soft tissues continue to compress the other side
