Intrapelvic acetabulum surgery: does the positioning of the plate fixation play a role in the stability of the osteosynthesis?

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to investigate whether positioning of the plate fixation plays a role in the stability of the osteosynthesis.

Materials and methods: We used finite element modelling to model an anterior pillar fracture and a T-type fracture of the acetabulum. Fracture fixation was carried out in three different variations: cranially positioned plate, medially positioned plate, and a combination of the two methods. In all cases, 3-3 screws were inserted on both ends of the plate to fix the fracture.

Results: In both fractures, nearly the same amount of displacement was detected in the fracture gap using a cranially positioned or medially positioned plate, and the amount of displacement was not less when using both plates simultaneously.

Conclusion: The position of the plate fixation does not affect the stability of the osteosynthesis and in cases of simple fracture patterns, fixation using two plates does not provide more stability than one plate alone.