[Locking attachment plate - first experience]

In this paper we present our first experience in the application of a new, fixed-angle plate fixation: the locking attachment plate (LAP, Synthes, Oberdorf, Switzerland). We examined whether the LAP is a useful addition to the existing technical palette for periprosthetic fractures. The LAP is used for periprosthetic fractures with stable prostheses or intramedullary implants. The plate can be installed, e.g., on a 4.5 mm locking compression plate (LCP). Locking screws or cortical screws can be placed through its 4 diagonal fixed-angle arms, bicortical around the prosthesis stem into the bone. The LAP is designed to prevent lateral screw pull-out, to stabilise the prosthesis stem and thus to allow early postoperative mobilisation of patients.

We implanted the LAP by operative fracture-treatment in the ORIF technique in 17 patients with periprosthetic fractures of the femur, tibia and humerus. The follow-up was at least 13 months.

There were two losses to follow-up: the patients died a few weeks postoperatively. There was a total of two of 17 cases with infection events (11.8 %). We could examine 15 patients for follow-up. Eleven of these 15 patients regained their original range of motion (ROM) and nine of 15 patients their pretraumatic mobility. In all cases with periprosthetic humeral fractures we detected muscular deficits. In five out of 15 cases (33.3 %) no radiological fracture healing could be observed. Nevertheless in 14 of 15 cases the implant was stable without signs of implant or prosthetic loosening. There was no case of material failure.

Periprosthetic fractures are an increasingly common complication in old, often multi-morbid patients. A contemporary therapeutic intervention and early postoperative mobilisation contribute substantially to the success of treatment. The first results in the use of the LAP as a new implant option for periprosthetic fractures of the femur, tibia and humerus are promising. Further studies are necessary to show whether our overall good results are reproducible in larger groups of patients and whether the LAP can be given a firm position in the technical repertoire for treatment of periprosthetic fractures.