Locking Plates on Femoral Fractures: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Femoral fractures are a challenging medical and social problem as they may occur at any age. All the available osteosynthesis types can be used to treat such injuries. However, despite the disadvantages, fixation with plates has been the most common and developed. The PubMed and EMBASE databases were used to perform a systematic review of the English literature to assess the functional results and complications associated with proximal humerus locking plates. All institutional, author, and journal information was concealed to minimize reviewer bias. Fixation of proximal humerus fractures with proximal humerus locking plates is associated with a high rate of complications and reoperation. Further study is needed to determine what technical errors and patient characteristics are risk factors for failure of this now common fixation technique.