The Strength of Plate Fixation in Relation to the Number and Spacing of Bone Screws

Abstract

Our purpose was to study the relationship between the number of plate holes filled and the spacing between the screws and the resultant strength of plated constructs. Broad regular DC plates were anchored with 4.5-mm cortical screws to blocks of polyurethane foam. Six constructs were tested: (a) screws in holes 1, 2, and 3; (b) screws in holes 1 and 3; (c) screws in holes 1 and 4; (d) screws in holes 1 and 5; (e) screws in holes 1 and 6; (f) screws in holes 1, 3, and 5. The strength was quantified using a material-testing system. In cantilever and four-point bending, the constructs were loaded in both gap-closing and gap-opening modes. Screws in holes 1, 2, and 3 were tested against other constructs. For cantilever bending (gap opening and gap closing), construct (a) was stronger than construct (b), as strong as construct (c), but weaker than the constructs with more widely spaced screws (p < 0.0001). In terms of four-point bending, for gap opening, the standard fixation (construct (a) was stronger than construct (b) but weaker than the more widely spaced constructs. For gap closing, construct (a) was stronger than constructs (b) and (c) but weaker than the rest. Regardless of the spacing of screws and the plate length, strength in torsion was dependent on the number of screws securing the plate. In a laboratory fracture model of plate-bone constructs tested to failure by screw pullout, wider spacing of bone screws increases the bending strength of screw-plate fixation and can be more effective than increasing the number of screws. Torsional strength is independent of screw placement in plates of a given width and depends on the number of screws used.