This study asseses the biomechanical properties of the Locking Volar T-Plate. It compares the axial load to failure to more traditional plating methods including the T-Plate and Pi-Plate. All three plates were tested for axial load to failure in both a dorsally comminuted model and a highly comminuted model with disruption of both the volar and dorsal cortices. The data in this study indicates may support volar plating for dorsally comminuted distal radius fractures.

The pirpose of this study was to compare the biomechanical properties of three distal radius plates.

The Locking Volar T-Plate performs equally as well regardless of the presence of volar comminution while the other systems do not. It also outperforms both other systems when volar comminution is present.

This study provides biomechanical data of the Volar Locking T-Plate.

Three distal radius plating systems were used on left radii after having either a segmental or dorsal wedge osteotomy performed to simulate severely comminuted and dorsally comminuted distal radius fractures respectively. Group One was plated with an AO stainless steel Pi plate, Group Two with a stainless steel T-plate volarly and Group Three with a stainless steel Locking Volar T-Plate. Specimens in all six of these groups (three groups with each type of osteotomy) were tested in axial loading to determine their load to failure.

The load to failure was significantly higher with the Locking Volar T-Plate than the T-plate (p = 0.001) and Pi plate (p < 0.001) in the severely comminuted model. There was no significant difference between the groups in the dorsally comminuted model. There was no significant difference in the load to failure of the Locking Volar T-Plate between both models and between it’s the load to failure in the severely comminuted model and that of the Pi plate in the dorsally comminuted model.

There has been limited data to date on the Locking Volar T-Plate. Studies, such as this one will provide biomechanical evidence supporting its use.