The Pros And Cons Of Plate Or Pins

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Plate or Pin?

If you and a surgeon have decided that surgery is your best option to achieve a full recovery, then it is best to be informed of all surgical options. There are two primary surgical methods: plates and pins. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options, and they serve different functions.

Plates are metal implants that are attached to the bone using a series of screws. They offer high stability due to the attachment to the bone; this is the preferred surgical option for patients that can’t or wont refrain from high-impact activities for 2-3 weeks — patients like Olympic or X-Games athletes.
Although this is the case, a vast portion of plated patients find that the rubbing of the screws against the tissue is uncomfortable, which eventually leads to a secondary surgery for removal. This presents a big …show more content…

They generally only require two incisions, and instead of being placed directly on the bone, they’re actually inserted into the bone —“intramedullary implants”. Because they’re thinner, they’re not quite as stable as plates; a hard fall or hit to the bone while it is still healing could cause the implant to break, and the surgeon would have to replace it. However, a bone that is pinned is still far stronger than a bone healed by the non-surgical option.
Pins rarely cause pain, and because they’re much less invasive than plates, the rehabilitation time is much shorter. They also almost never require removal, and when they are removed, the bone structure isn’t compromised.
Pins have a reputation for migrating—leaving the bone and traveling to other parts of the body— but new pins that secure themselves to the inside of the bone using tiny prongs have been developed by Sonoma Orthopedics. These pins have flexible tips, allowing them to travel more comfortably through the bone.
Both methods have pros and cons. Be sure to talk to your surgeon about which method is right for you and your

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