Comments on the Effect of an Orthogonal Locking Plate and Primary Plate Working Length on Construct Stiffness and Plate Strain in an In vitro Fracture-Gap Model.

This is not an easy read and not the simplified biomechanics in simple English I promised to deliver in my Introduction article. Nevertheless, you may find it interesting as it results from analytical thinking, where each mathematically solid statement follows the next in a logical order.

This article has been published here.

You can view the reply to this article here.

Although I disagree with the authors' reply, this does not mean their results are invalid. Nevertheless, they have not provided a convincing mechanical explanation that would explain their results. Their results would have been expected in an axially loaded construct but not under four-point bending. They found no difference in strain between a short and medium working length construct, which is understandable mechanically. Still, they found a difference between medium and long working length constructs. I still wonder why.

Please comment below if you think you can help with an explanation.