Biomaterial Database

Fatigue fracture of a femoral sliding compression screw-plate device after bone union. 1987

A A Amis, and J D Bromage, and M Larvin

A failure of a femoral screw compression plate is described, the first such case to be reported after bone union. A fatigue fracture had started from an internal screw thread, near a keyway. Design improvements, such as lengthening the barrel around the lag screw, are suggested. The question as to whether keyways are necessary for the function of such devices is discussed. The morbidity of removal operations in elderly patients means that fatigue life improvements are needed, to avoid increasing numbers of failed implants in the continuing epidemic of fractures of the proximal femur.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011859	Radiography	Examination of any part of the body for diagnostic purposes by means of X-RAYS or GAMMA RAYS, recording the image on a sensitized surface (such as photographic film).	Radiology, Diagnostic X-Ray,Roentgenography,X-Ray, Diagnostic,Diagnostic X-Ray,Diagnostic X-Ray Radiology,X-Ray Radiology, Diagnostic,Diagnostic X Ray,Diagnostic X Ray Radiology,Diagnostic X-Rays,Radiology, Diagnostic X Ray,X Ray Radiology, Diagnostic,X Ray, Diagnostic,X-Rays, Diagnostic
D001860	Bone Plates	Implantable fracture fixation devices attached to bone fragments with screws to bridge the fracture gap and shield the fracture site from stress as bone heals. (UMDNS, 1999)	Bone Plate,Plate, Bone,Plates, Bone
D001863	Bone Screws	Specialized devices used in ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY to repair bone fractures.	Bone Screw,Screw, Bone,Screws, Bone
D005260	Female		Females
D006620	Hip Fractures	Fractures of the FEMUR HEAD; the FEMUR NECK; (FEMORAL NECK FRACTURES); the trochanters; or the inter- or subtrochanteric region. Excludes fractures of the acetabulum and fractures of the femoral shaft below the subtrochanteric region (FEMORAL FRACTURES).	Femoral Trochlear Fractures,Intertrochanteric Fractures,Subtrochanteric Fractures,Trochanteric Fractures,Trochlear Fractures, Femur,Femoral Trochlear Fracture,Femur Trochlear Fracture,Femur Trochlear Fractures,Fracture, Femoral Trochlear,Fracture, Femur Trochlear,Fractures, Femoral Trochlear,Fractures, Femur Trochlear,Fractures, Hip,Fractures, Intertrochanteric,Fractures, Subtrochanteric,Fractures, Trochanteric,Trochlear Fracture, Femoral,Trochlear Fracture, Femur,Trochlear Fractures, Femoral
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D001696	Biomechanical Phenomena	The properties, processes, and behavior of biological systems under the action of mechanical forces.	Biomechanics,Kinematics,Biomechanic Phenomena,Mechanobiological Phenomena,Biomechanic,Biomechanic Phenomenas,Phenomena, Biomechanic,Phenomena, Biomechanical,Phenomena, Mechanobiological,Phenomenas, Biomechanic
D013314	Stress, Mechanical	A purely physical condition which exists within any material because of strain or deformation by external forces or by non-uniform thermal expansion; expressed quantitatively in units of force per unit area.	Mechanical Stress,Mechanical Stresses,Stresses, Mechanical