A bone plate is needed for most of the stability. After the bone plate is measured and bent to the specific shape of this tibia, holes are drilled into the bone with a special air powered drill. They have to be drilled to the proper depth and angle or the bone will fracture more or the plate will fail. Drilling the holes is the first step in the application of the plate. The depth of the holes is measured, and specific screws are used.
Some screws compress the plate to the bone, others hold the plate in place.
Two hours from the start of the surgery the plate has finally been applied. We will not remove it unless there is a post operative complication. The muscle is sutured to preserve its function and to cover the plate. These sutures will slowly dissolve over several months. The skin sutures will stay in for 2 weeks.