Compression bone-plating: historical considerations

Compression of bone fragments to accelerate, or at least facilitate, bone healing was first applied in 1932 by Key to arthrodesis of the knee. Subsequently the same principle was applied to fractures, first by percutaneous pins as developed by Roger Anderson and then by implanted compression plates. Two types of compression plate have been evolved. One employs an axially oriented force produced by a separate screw or temporarily applied compression device, designed just for this purpose, as originated by Danis in 1949. The other, devised by me in 1956, is a so-called self-compressing plate, which generates compression force by inserting eccentrically placed chamfered screw-heads into slots in the plate so that the screws (as well as the bone fragments in which they are inserted) are translated toward each other. Numerous modifications of these two basic designs are now available.