[Overseas advance on the use of locking plates]

Locking plate technology offers improved fixation stability in osteopenic bone and for comminuted and periarticular fractures. The additional stability per screw compared with that of conventional nonlocking fixation enhances the application of minimally invasive fracture techniques. The application of locking plates is somewhat more difficult than the placement of conventional plates. Fracture reductions are often done indirectly, the locking screw must be carefully aligned along the axis of the receiving hole to ensure proper tightness, and the length of the plate must be selected carefully. The use of locking plates will likely increase, particularly with the increasing prevalence of osteopenic fractures on our aging population and the increase in high-energy fractures in younger patients severe trauma.