Locking Plate Technology and Its Applications in Upper Extremity Fracture Care

Locking plate technology has been a major advance in fracture care. These plates afford a stronger construct and have been useful in cases where the bone is osteoporotic and unicortical fixation or distal periarticular fracture fixation is necessary. Disadvantages include fixed angle screw fixation and inability to compress at the fracture site; however, the use of a combination of compression and locking screws allows for both fracture compression with cortical screws and stronger fixation with locking screws. Future studies will refine the indications and overall efficacy in the use of this technology.