Treatment of diaphyseal forearm bone fractures by Locking Compression Plate (LCP)

Purpose:To evaluate the use of locking compression plates in the treatment of diaphyseal fractures of forearm. Methods:30 patients of forearm fractures were included in the study with 26 males and 4 females having mean age of 34 years. Follow up was done at 3, 6 and 12 months. Clinical assessment was done for the functional outcome according to Anderson criteria. Results:All the fractures united with mean union time 12.6 weeks. There was not a single case of nonunion with only 2 cases of delayed union. There was a single case of infection which was managed conservatively. None of the cases required bone grafting. Conclusion:Locking compression plate is no doubt an effective bridging device used for treating comminuted fractures, but its superiority over conventional plating in the treatment of simple factures is yet to be proven. Study Conducted at Postgraduate Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Jammu, India.