Biomechanical Study of the Osteosynthesis Stiffness with Bridging Plates in Cadaveric Tibial Models

Tibial diaphyseal fractures are the most frequent among long bone fractures. It is estimated that around 300,000 new fractures are treated per year in the USA, and around 50,000 in Brazil.1 The classification used most often in the evaluation of these fractures is that proposed by the AO group, where type A fractures are simple, those of type B present a wedge fracture, and those of type C are complex comminutive fractures.2 Osteosynthesis by the relative stability principle is indicated in type C fractures, whereas the implant options for obtainment of this principle are external fixation, intramedullary nail and bridging plate. The intramedullary locking nail is considered by many authors to be the method of choice in the definitive treatment of type C diaphyseal fractures of the long bones of the lower limbs. However, there are situations where the use of the nail is limited, such as in diaphyseal fractures with articular extension, fracture traces in the diaphyseal-metaphyseal transition, cutaneous lesions at the point of entrance of the nail, unavailability of radioscopy and restriction of nail use due to the high cost of the implant. In these cases a therapeutic option is the ABSTRACT