A NEW ANATOMICAL PLATE FOR EXTRA-ARTICULAR DISTAL HUMERAL FRACTURES: BIOMECHANICAL STUDY

We compared the mechanical properties of two fixation techniques for the treatment of extra-articular distal third humeral fractures. Two groups were created from twenty-four humeri. Group 1 was instrumented using a new, precontoured, 8-hole (3.5-mm-diameter) locking compression plate (LCP) placed anterolaterally. Group 2 was instrumented using an 8-hole (3.5-mm-diameter) precontoured posterolateral LCP plate placed on the distal humerus. Four-point bending tests and torsion tests were performed until the specimens broke. The four-point bending stiffness test showed that the stiffness of anterolaterally fixed humeri was significantly higher than that of posterolaterally fixed humeri (p