Clinical experience with titanium implants, especially with the limited contact dynamic compression plate system

Summary

AO/ASIF with its collaborating laboratories has developed cold worked pure titanium material for implants with an outstanding biocompatibility. The first prospectively controlled clinical series dates back to 1966 and was reported to be most successful. Pure titanium also became the material of choice for implants to be used in patients suffering from metal allergy. Today, a long-term and well-documented experience with these implants exists. It therefore seemed logical to use pure titanium for the new limited contact dynamic compression plate (LC-DCP) system described in the previous article by Perren. Pilot clinics started to implant titanium LC-DCP in 1987, and already 271 plates have been used, mainly for the treatment of fresh fractures. Some 57 plates have so far been removed. The preliminary results are most favourable; they confirm especially the outstanding biocompatibility of pure titanium.