Types of Trauma Implants- Plates, Screws and More

Introduction

People often suffer an injury or external impact due to a fall, slip, accident, bumping into, something unexpectedly. These instances may damage any of the bones, joints, tissues, muscles, ligaments, or organs of the injured. Orthopedic trauma is an injury to the musculoskeletal system of the body. Common as they are, they need immediate medical attention and care.

Orthopedic surgeons treat fractures either non-surgically or surgically, depending on the severity of the injury and the need for medical intervention and care. Orthopedic trauma implants help surgeons achieve the desired surgical outcomes.

Trauma implants are orthopedic implants that help fix, realign, and demobilize broken bones, enabling their proper healing and restoration of their functionality. These implants are crucial in traumatic fracture fixation and are subject to stringent performance and quality standards.

Let us understand the types of trauma implants that facilitate smooth and successful treatment of fractured and broken bones. Read this blog to know about the different types of trauma implants and their role in Orthopedic Fracture Treatment.

Trauma Implants

Osteosynthetic or trauma implants are medical devices that ensure precision in the fixation and realignment of bone fractures and restore the functionality and repair of these bones. They stabilize the fractured bones to avoid further damage and provide better repair and healing. With their important role in fracture fixation, they adhere to strict performance and quality standards. These are either temporary implants that are removed on bone healing or implants that become permanent in the body, depending on the type of implant and healing requirements of the fracture.

The Material Composition of Trauma Implants

These implants come with different material composition and surface features. The two major materials used in these implants are stainless steel and titanium. The material used must ensure-

Biocompatibility to avoid inflammation,
Ductility to fit the shape of the fractured bone,
High tensile strength to withstand force and pressure,
Easy removal on healing and bones do not get attached to the implants.
No magnetism properties.

Types of Trauma Implants

Trauma implants come in different shapes, sizes, material compositions, and surface features to cater to the diverse needs of fracture treatment. The selection of the type of implant is the surgeon’s decision after examining the severity and damage to the body. The different trauma implants used for fracture fixation are-

Screws- Screws fix the bones in their optimal anatomical positions to promote healing and ensure realignment through compression. They bridge the gap between the fracture site and the implant. They have a head, body, and tip. They can be used with other implants like plates. The screw types are-
Cancellous screws- These screws are used to fix fractures in cancellous bones or spongy bones. Cancellous screws have deep cuts, and their threads are sparsely spread.
Cortex Screws- These screws fix the fractured cortical bones. Cortical bones are compact and strong bones at the outer side of the long bones. These screws have a blunt end, and their threads are shallow and close.
Cannulated screws- These are hollow screws. They are used in multiple fracture fixation and reconstructing bones. They can be placed on the guidewire or guidepin, providing precision in screw fixation. These screws come in different diameters and lengths.
Lag screws- For compression and fixation of fragment fractures, the surgeon uses lag screws. These screws are inserted perpendicular to the fracture and may be fully or partially threaded.
Plates- Holding the fractured parts together is an essential element of the anatomical alignment of these parts and their due healing. Plates act as a support for long bone fractures and enable their reconstruction and stability. The various types of plates for this purpose are-
Buttress Plates – Fractured ankles or knees at the end of long bones, and where compression and external forces act more to hold the bones together.
Neutralization Plates- Neutralization plates increase the span of the area to secure and stabilize the fracture site through screws. This enables balancing the load and optimal fixation and realignment.
Nails- Also known as intramedullary nails or rods, these are metal rods used in long bone fractures along with screws. They are used in the intramedullary cavity of the bone to fix the fracture. They are applied through the fracture and provide strong support to the broken bones.
Wires – Wires have metals that provide biocompatibility. They are commonly used in bone fractures in children. With a high degree of flexibility, wires bend easily. Some wires are also used to repair tendons and for other internal fixation. Sharp-tipped, stiff, and straight wires are drilled through the bones to hold the fractured bone fragments. K-wires or Kirschner wires are smooth yet sharp and are used for percutaneous positioning to avoid surgical incisions. Olive wires are used for small bone fractures in cases that require corrective treatment.
Pins – Pins are used to stabilize broken bones. Pins could either be under the skin or protrude outside of the skin but are covered with splints or a cast. Steinmann pins are sharp at one end, with a hole at the other. They mimic the functions of K-wire but are larger in diameter. These pins are used for soft tissue fixation, bone lengthening or shortening procedures, osteotomies, and realigning bone requirements.
Staples- As an effective internal fixation method, staples are primarily used in foot and ankle fractures. Staples are used in cases where internal fixation through screws is not possible or in cases of soft tissue fixation. The various orthopedic staples are U-shaped staples, Coventry staples, Blount staples, or Thorny staples, to name a few, each with a specific use in fracture treatment.

Conclusion

Unexpected events are beyond one’s control, and so are their associated injuries and trauma. However, exercising safety can help prevent these mishaps to some extent. If unforeseen events cause orthopedic trauma or injury, consult your healthcare provider immediately without resorting to self-medication and treatment or treatment from unqualified persons. Prompt, professional help is what saves the damage from aggravating. Orthopedists are experts who address and relieve the associated pain and discomfort with proper treatment using various surgical or non-surgical options. Orthopedists fix these fractures by properly stabilizing, fixing, and realigning the fractured bones using trauma implants, thus enabling their original anatomical positioning and functioning.