Metal Failure in Treatment of Comminuted Fracture: Clinical Analysis

Internal fixation of fractures always represents a race between the time required for bone healing and the inevitable fatigue failure of implant. The authors clinically analyzed the cause of metal failure in 34 cases at Department of Orthopedic surgery, Taegu Medical Center from Jan. 1981 to Dec. 1987. 1. Metal failure occured in 29 compression plates, 1 Kuntscher nail, 1 Jewett nail, 1 Ender nail, and 2 semitubular plates. 2. Involved bones were the femur in 28 cases, tibia in 3 cases, humerus in 1 cases, and the ulna in 2 csses. 3. The time interval between internal fixation and metal failure was average 7 months. 4. The cause of metal failure was deficiency of medial buttress in 14 cases and incorrect position of implant in 19 cases, and incorrect selection of implant in 1 case. 5. (Autogenic) Bone graft was not performed in the primary surgical treatment of 31 cases.