A mechanical performance study of the plate-screw system applied to fractures in the femoral shaft - an in vitro study

Fractures in the femur shaft cause severe impairment to individuals. There are several approaches to treat this kind of injury, being the use of intramedullary nail and plate-screw system, a common place in the operating theatre. It has been verified that resuming promptly certain functional activities of the fractured member avoids, amongst others: soft tissues atrophy, disuse osteoporosis and rigidity of the joints. Additionally, allowing controlled loading accelerates the healing process. This paper aims to present the preliminary results of an investigation that has focused on determining the loading level that a fracture in the femur shaft can support, when fixed with a plate-screw system. This information can be useful to prescribe physiotherapy procedures to the patients.