The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 70, Issue 2 285-288, Copyright © 1988 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Knee arthrodesis with a tension-band plate
JW Pritchett, BA Mallin and AC Matthews
University of Washington, Seattle.
Twenty-six patients had an arthrodesis of the knee using a single anterior,
broad, contoured dynamic-compression plate and screws that were applied as
a tension band. Bone grafts were not used. No external immobilization was
required, and immediate partial weight-bearing was encouraged. The minimum
follow-up period was two years, and solid osseous union occurred in each
patient. When last seen, all patients were free of pain and could walk
without external support. The desired alignment was achieved in each
patient, and no complications that were related to this method occurred.
Tension-band plating, in our opinion, represents the best method of
arthrodesis of the knee that is currently available.