Buttress plate

Last revised by Joachim Feger on 10 Dec 2021

Buttress plates are osteosynthetic implants commonly used in the metaphyseal area for internal fixation of articular fractures to support intraarticular fragments.

They are used to counteract vertical shear forces during axial loading in the metaphyseal area and to prevent sliding/shortening of the fracture fragments.

Pre-contoured anatomical or stiff plates can be used. The latter requires intraoperative contouring. They can be used with or without lag screws to cause a buttress effect meaning one fragment is pushed against the other and into a reduced fracture position especially during axial loading.

They are used in many types of articular fractures and include the following 1-6:

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