Mechanical performance in axial compression of a titanium polyaxial locking plate system in a fracture gap model

Objective: To evaluate the bending strength of the VetLOX® polyaxial locking plate system.

Materials and methods: Thirty-five 3.5 mm 12-hole titanium VetLOX® plates were used to stabilize seven different construct designs in a 1 cm fracture gap simulation model. Each construct was subjected to axial compression. Mean bending stiffness (BS) and yield load (YL) of each construct design were analysed using a one-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc analysis. Screw angulation was measured on reconstructed computed tomography (CT) images.

Results: Reducing plate working length for fixed-angle constructs significantly increased BS (p <0.01) and YL (p <0.01). For a constant plate working length, increasing screw number did not significantly affect BS (p = 1.0) or YL (p = 0.86). Screw angulation measurement technique was validated by intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) (ICC >0.9 for inter- and intra-observer measurements). An average screw angle of 13.2° did not significantly affect mechanical performance although incomplete screw head-plate engagement was noted on some reconstructed CT images when angulation exceeded 10°. Prefabricated screw-head inserts did not significantly increase mechanical performance. A 4 mm bone-plate stand-off distance significantly reduced BS and YL by 63% and 69% respectively.

Clinical relevance: The VetLOX® system allows the benefits of polyaxial screw insertion whilst maintaining comparable bending properties to fixed angle insertion. The authors recommend accurate plate contouring to reduce the risk of plate bending.