Contact area and pressure between 6-hole broad dynamic compression plates and 20 pairs of equine third metatarsal bones were measured using nonluted and luted plating techniques. Pressure-sensitive film (pressure ranges 10 to 50 MPa and 50 to 130 MPa) was used as the static pressure transducer. Nonluted and one of two luting techniques were tested on each pair of bones; each luting technique was tested on 20 bones. Quantitative determinations of contact area and pressure were made using computerized image processing techniques. Mean (+/- SD) total contact area for nonluted plates was 18.49% +/- 3.5% of the potential plate-bone contact area. Luting increased (P < .05) total contact area to 25.56% +/- 4.0% and 31.29% +/- 6.6% for the respective luting techniques. The effects of luting on contact area were dependent on the contact pressure. At contact pressure ranges 10 to 20 and 21 to 35 MPa, luting increased contact area. In contact pressure ranges 36 to 45 and 50 to 65 MPa, plate-bone contact was inherently greatest and plate luting had no significant effect on contact area. In contact pressure ranges 66 to 99 and 100 to 126 MPa, luting decreased contact area. Contact area was increased at lower contact pressures at the expense of higher pressure contact. Contact in the middle third of the plate was 20% to 40% of the contact at either end of the plate. Plate luting increased contact area best where plate-bone contour was most similar.