- Discussion:
- semitubular
Plates are designed in the shape of half tube;
- they are only 1 mm thick and have low rigidity;
- plate is used only in areas where they are subject to tensile forces;
- oval plate holes allow some axial compression if the 4.5 mm cortex
screws are inserted eccentrically on each side of the fracture;
- slight disadvantage of this plate, is the deep penentration of
unthreaded neck of screw into the cortex, which entails some risk
of cortical splitting;
- enlarging the cortex to 4.5 mm would prevent such splitting;
- in the past semitubular
Plates found application in forearm fractures;
- today it may occassionally be used as tension band plate in open book
pelvic injuries and as a second plate in comminuted frx in the
metaphysis of long bones;
- semitubular plates are available with 2-12 holes;
- thickness 1 mm;
- width 11 mm
- hole spacing 16 and 26 mm;
- 3.2 mm drill bit is used for 4.5 mm cortical screws;
