Comparison of three different plating techniques for the dorsum of the distal radius: A biomechanical study

Three different plating techniques were used on experimentally produced dor sally displaced distal radius fractures in cadavers and were tested in 4-po int bending: a AO 3.5-mm T plate (group 1), two 2.0-mm titanium plates 60 d egrees to each other (group 2), and the AO pi plate (group 3). A metaphysea l defect was simulated by a dorsally open wedge osteotomy. The tests show t hat the 2-mm double-plating technique has superior stiffness and statistica lly equivalent bending and bone gap to failure compared with the AO 3.5-mm T plate or the pi plate when applied to the unstable distal radius fracture model. Copyright (C) 2000 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.