Biomechanische Untersuchung zum Vergleich der Helical Plate mit dem bestehenden operativen Versorgungsstandard bei distalen Femurfrakturen

Abstract

Distal femoral fractures represent a complex challenge in trauma surgery. The aim of this Master's thesis was to evaluate the biomechanical performance of a newly developed helical plate, used in combination with a laterally fixed LISS plate as part of a double plating osteosynthesis for the surgical treatment of distal femoral fractures. This concept was compared with two established fixation methods: a lateral LISS plate combined with a medial reconstruction plate, and a single lateral LISS plate. Experimental testing was performed on standardized synthetic femora under cyclic axial loading. Uniform fracture models and reproducible testing protocols were applied. Biomechanical evaluation was based on force-displacement curves and the calculation of axial sti[ness. The results demonstrate that all tested osteosynthesis constructs are generally suitable for stabilizing distal femoral fractures within the examined load ranges. However, the combination of the LISS plate with the helical plate showed the highest sti[ness values under higher loads, followed by the LISS–reconstruction plate combination and the single LISS plate. These findings indicate potential biomechanical advantages of the helical plate when used in a double plating construct. Due to the small sample size (n = 2 per group), no inferential statistical analysis was performed, and the results should therefore be interpreted as exploratory. Overall, the helical plate presents a promising alternative to existing fixation strategies. Further studies under more realistic conditions and with larger sample sizes are required to confirm these findings.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Awarding Institution	FH Gesundheitsberufe OÖ GmbH
Supervisor	Andreas Schrempf (Supervisor)