Fig. 1
Photographs of biodegradable plate and screw and surgical steps.
(A) 6 hole biodegradable plate and bicortical screw.
(B) The plate is heated in the water bath for at least 1 minute and most malleable for 10 seconds after heating.
(C) The plate can be contoured to the bone by using finger pressure. Bicortical screws are fixed through the plate.
Fig. 2
(A) A 55-year-old woman had lateral malleolar fracture and deltoid ligament injury of the ankle joint.
(B) The lateral malleolar fracture was fixed with biodegradable plate and bicortical screw.
(C) At postoperative 12 weeks, the radiographs show the radiological bone union.
Fig. 3
(A) A 48-year-old woman had a trimalleolar fracture of the ankle joint.
(B) The lateral malleolar fracture was fixed with biodegradable plate and bicortical screws, and medial malleolar fragment with biodegradable screw and K-wire.
(C) At postoperative 15 weeks, the radiographs show the radiological bone union.
Fig. 4
(A) Initial radiographs & CT of a 62-year-old woman show anterior tibio-fibular ligament avulsion fracture in lateral malleolar fracture.
(B) The lateral malleolar fracture was fixed with biodegradable plate and bicortical screws, and avulsion fragment of anterior tibio-fibular ligament with biodegradable screw.
(C) At postoperative 8 weeks, the radiographs show the minimal displacement less than 1 mm.
Table 1Summary of cases
Table 2Criteria used in assessment of the result (Meyer)