Supercutaneous plating: use of a locking compression plate as an external fixator

Low-profile rigid external fixation can be a helpful adjunct in complex posttraumatic cases as part of a staged reconstructive effort. The successful use of plates as low-profile external fixators has been described previously by our institution. The locking compression plates have been advocated as internal-external fixators, given their angular stable screw fixation. These properties also make them good candidates for external plate fixation; we call this technique "supercutaneous plating."