Trefny et al: Effect of Plate Screw Configuration on Construct Stiffness and Plate Strain in a Synthetic Short Fragment Small Gap Fracture Model Stabilized with a 12-Hole 3.5-mm Locking Compression Plate
Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology 3, 2025

🔍 Key Findings

• Short working length constructs had significantly higher stiffness and lower strain than long constructs in compression bending (p = 0.0172).
• In tension bending, short constructs also had higher precontact stiffness and lower strain, but this reversed after transcortical contact (~150 N).
• Transcortical contact increased stiffness only in long constructs, producing a bilinear load-displacement curve.
• Postcontact stiffness was higher in long constructs, but this may not reflect clinical benefit due to risks of high interfragmentary strain.
• Short working length reduced strain at multiple ROIs under both loading conditions, including over fracture gap (Tables 1–3).
• Increased working length promoted stress concentration and deformation, especially in compression bending.
• In vitro benefits of long constructs (via contact stability) may not translate to healing, as repetitive loading could increase plate strain and bone resorption.
• Plate strain was effectively mapped using 3D digital image correlation, confirming regional strain differences between configurations.