title: Are locking plates better than non-locking plates for treating distal tibial fractures?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Locking and non-locking plates has been used for distal tibia fracture osteosynthesis. Sufficient evidence to favor one implant over the other is lacking in the current literature. Our aim is to compare them in terms of fracture healing, alignment, functional outcome, complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-eight patients operated on using a percutaneous plate were retrospectively reviewed. They were divided into two groups: in group 1 (28 patients) a 4.5mm narrow conventional dynamic compression plate (DCP) was used. In group 2 (40 patients) a titanium locked compression plate (LCP) was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean time to union was 16.2 and 15.4 weeks for group 1 and 2, respectively (p=0.618). 11 patients (39.3%) in group 1 and 4 patients (10%) in group 2 showed malalignment (p=0.016). AOFAS scores at follow up were 89 and 88 in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Implant removal was necessary in 9 cases (32.1%) and 4 cases (10%) in group 1 and group 2, respectively (p=0.042). Three patients (10.7%) in group 1 and three patients (7.5%) in group 2 had an infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both plating systems have similar results in terms of time to union, infection, and AOFAS scores. The LCP seems superior with respect to alignment and the need for implant removal.
authors.affiliation: Foot and Ankle Unit, Instituto Traumatológico Teodoro Gebauer, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bastias
authors.affiliation: Foot and Ankle Unit, Instituto Traumatológico Teodoro Gebauer, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Henríquez
authors.affiliation: Foot and Ankle Unit, Instituto Traumatológico Teodoro Gebauer, Santiago, Chile; Foot and Ankle Unit, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pellegrini
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma & Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rammelt
authors.affiliation: Foot and Ankle Unit, Instituto Traumatológico Teodoro Gebauer, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Natalio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cuchacovich
authors.affiliation: Foot and Ankle Unit, Instituto Traumatológico Teodoro Gebauer, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: leo_lagos@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lagos
authors.affiliation: Foot and Ankle Unit, Instituto Traumatológico Teodoro Gebauer, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carcuro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001860:Bone Plates; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017102:Fracture Healing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Distal tibia; Fracture; Locking plate; Mal union; Minimally invasive