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Nonlocking Plate Functions

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Essential Biomechanics for Orthopedic Trauma

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Abstract

Surgical stabilization of fractures with plate and screw constructs continues to be a common contemporary method of fracture fixation. Plate design has evolved significantly over the last century. While the modern plating armamentarium commonly includes anatomically precontoured locking plates with off-axis locking screw technology for many areas of the body, the basis of plate and screw fracture stabilization stems from nonlocking plate constructs. There are numerous different plate designs with varying shapes, sizes, and thicknesses. Regardless of the plate design, the function of the plate is determined by how the plate is applied by the surgeon to the specific fracture. The main functions that a plate can serve are compression, neutralization, buttress, tension band, and bridging. The purpose of this chapter is to describe and demonstrate each primary function possible by plate and screw constructs through both correct and incorrect clinical examples.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Davis Medical Center, University of California, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Jonathan G. Eastman

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  1. Jonathan G. Eastman
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Correspondence to Jonathan G. Eastman .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopaedic Trauma Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Brett D. Crist

  2. BayCare Health System, Lutz, FL, USA

    Joseph Borrelli Jr.

  3. Injury Repair and Recovery Program, McGill University Health Center Research Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Edward J. Harvey

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Eastman, J.G. (2020). Nonlocking Plate Functions. In: Crist, B., Borrelli Jr., J., Harvey, E. (eds) Essential Biomechanics for Orthopedic Trauma. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36990-3_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36990-3_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-36989-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-36990-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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