Materials used for osteotomy

The materials used to fix osteotomy are based on 3 main criteria:

Metal alloys

In other words, they consist of several components, at least one of which is metallic. A distinction is made between stainless steels (chromium-cobalt), which are most used in the knee, and titanium-based alloys.

In the knee, osteotomy fixation devices usually consist of a plate and screws. The screws used are called locking screws. This means that they are not only fixed to the bone, but also locked into the plate. This creates an extremely rigid one-piece plate-screw system. This rigidity provides very good fixation. It promotes bone healing. It also allows early support before the bone has fully consolidated.

On the other hand, these locking screws can be difficult to remove 10 or 20 years later because the screws and plates have fused together. The same applies if the screw threads were damaged during the osteotomy. For this reason, the material should be removed 18 months after surgery.