Abstract
The locked plates are commonly used to obtain fixation in periarticular and comminuted fractures. Their use has also gained popularity in fixing fractures in osteoporotic skeleton. These plates provide stable fixation and promote biological healing. We have used over 150 locked plates with varying success in last 3 years to fix periarticular fractures involving mainly Knee and Ankle. These plates need to be removed if indicated which may be implant failure, infection, non-union or a palpable symptomatic implant. There are no reports in the literature regarding complications associated with removal of these locked plates. We report our clinical experience of removing locked plates in 28 adult patients. The procedure of implant removal was associated with a complication rate of 25%. The main problems encountered were difficulty in removing the locked screws and the implant itself. The locking plate could not be removed in two patients and had to be left in situ. We recommend that surgeon should be aware of these potential complications whilst removing these plates and that fluoroscopic control and all available extra equipment mainly metal cutting burrs and screw removal set should be available in theatre.
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