Distal Femur Plate (Lateral Locking / Traditional, Medial)

Distal femur fractures come in two broad caseloads. High-energy injuries in younger patients comminute the metaphysis and demand bridging fixation, while low-energy fractures in elderly, osteopenic bone need screws that hold their angle because there is little for a thread to bite. Lateral plating serves both, in locking form for the second group and traditional form where compression technique suits the bone and the pattern.

The medial plate completes the range for the cases a lateral plate alone cannot close: medial condyle fractures and dual-plate constructs for severe bicondylar comminution. Distal screws in all versions are clustered to raft the condylar block, and the longer plates bridge metaphyseal zones that cannot be reconstructed piece by piece. Construct design and approach — including submuscular insertion where chosen — remain with the operating surgeon.