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A Biomechanical Comparison Of Locking Plates Contrasted With Intramedullary Treatment Of Distal Femur Fracture, Christina Salas

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

This study compares the pattern of failure of locking compression plates (LCP) and intramedullary nails (IM) used in treatment of unstable comminuted distal femur fractures in osteoporotic and normal bones. Possible late failure of the fixation represents a critical problem in the treatment of distal femur fractures. Few biomechanical studies have examined the effects of osteoporosis on stability of the bone after fixation. Some reports have described catastrophic failure of fixation when LCP were used compared with IM nails making salvage procedures difficult. This thesis reports on the behavior of synthetic composite bone and embalmed cadaveric bone with and without …