title: A biomechanical comparison of a biodegradable volar locked plate with two titanium volar locked plates in a distal radius fracture model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Volar plating is commonly used in the management of distal radius fractures; bioresorbable plates have attractive features. We compared a bioresorbable plate with a latest generation and an established locked titanium plate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four fresh-frozen radii (12 pairs) were assigned to three mean bone mineral density-matched groups of eight radii each. A standardized extraarticular distal radius fracture was created and plated using one implant type per group. Postplating stiffness and displacement were studied in a first axial-loading test (15 cycles at 250 N). Next, biodegradation was simulated by 4 weeks' immersion in phosphate-buffered saline, followed by a second axial test. Finally, the specimens underwent cyclic loading (2,400 cycles at 250 N).
  
  
  RESULTS
  It is clear from the initial test that the LCP plate was significantly stiffer and displaced less than the bioresorbable plate. The outcome of the postimmersion tests is that one bioresorbable plate failed early on after 4 weeks' immersion, and the remaining bioresorbable plates and the T plates did not differ significantly. Cyclic tests conclude that the LCP plate was significantly superior to the other systems. One T plate and four of the bioresorbable plates failed, but none of the LCP plates failed. In the bioresorbable constructs, stability, time to failure, and bone mineral density were significantly correlated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The LCP plate was biomechanically superior and may be generally recommended for the volar plating of distal radius fractures. Except one plate failure, the bioresorbable plate was similar to the T plate in the quasi-static tests and should, therefore, be considered for clinical studies, with patient selection confined, initially, only to candidates with good bone stock quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Thuringia, Germany. Kajetan.Klos@med.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Kajetan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klos
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rausch
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Löffler
authors.forename: Rosemarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fröber
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hofmeier
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lenz
authors.forename: Gunther O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mückley
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001860:Bone Plates; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053401:Palmar Plate / Q000601:surgery*; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014025:Titanium
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium