Titanium plate fixation: a review of implant failures

Titanium plates and screws have become widely used for the fixation of fractures and osteotomies. We began using them in 1992; however, several early hardware failure prompted a retrospective review of the occurrence of this complication. A 2-year time period was reviewed at two institutions with comparison of hardware failure rates using titanium and stainless steel implants. At one institution, 51 fractures or osteotomies of the long bones were fixed by the senior author using titanium implants between July 1992 and July 1994. One hundred one similar cases were treated over the same period by the same surgeon using stainless steel implants. The outcome is known for 48 of the cases performed with titanium and for 80 of the cases performed with stainless steel. There were five postoperative implant failures using titanium and one using stainless steel. Metallurgical analysis of one set of broken implants retrieved during a revision surgery showed no manufacturing defects. At the second institution, 21 titanium and 138 stainless steel platings were performed over 2 years. There were four titanium implant failures in four patients and one stainless steel implant failure. Our experience suggests that these implants should be used with care, particularly in high-demand settings such as nonunion or noncompliance, and that further research needs to be conducted to establish appropriate clinical indications for their usage.