Fixation of Supracondylar Femoral Fractures: a Biomechanical Analysis Comparing 95° Blade Plates and Dynamic Condylar Screws (dcs)

OBJECTIVE To determine, by means of comparative biomechanical tests, whether greater compressive load resistance and flexion is presented by 95° angled blade plates or by dynamic condylar screws (DCS), and to correlate the failure type presented during the tests with each type of plate. METHODS Sixty-five porcine femurs were subjected to 1 cm medial wedge osteotomy, in the metaphysis, to simulate an unstable supracondylar femoral fracture. Osteosynthesis was performed on these pieces: 35 were fixed using 95° lateral blade plates and 30 with DCS plates. Another variable studied was the failure type presented in each group, in an attempt to correlate this with the type of plate. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences in biomechanical resistance between the two types of plates, or between the failure type and the plate type used for the osteosynthesis. CONCLUSION The two types of plate behaved in a similar fashion. However, the angled blade plate proved to be superior to the DCS in the flexion test. No statistical difference in failure type or type of plate used was observed.