Healing of fractures with freeze-dried cortical bone plates. Comparison with compression plating.

The healing of fractures of the radius with internal fixation by stainless-steel compression plates was compared with fractures fixed with freeze-dried bone-plate allografts. Fractures fixed with metallic plates gained slightly less than half the biomechanical strength of the contralateral control bone and healed without noticeable external callus formation. Bone-plated fractures regained three-fourths of the biomechanical strength of controls and healed by forming an external callus. Bone-plate allografts were eventually incorporated in the host bone. Allograft plates were vascularized and remodeled into cancellous bone in the process of incorporation in the host bones.