ArticleEuropean journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie2026
Management of orthopedic plate exposure: a case series evaluating advanced wound care and delayed hardware removal.
Article in European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPlate exposure following open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) poses significant challenges, including infection risk and impaired fracture healing. Traditional management often involves aggressive surgical interventions.
methodsThis retrospective case series examines seven patients treated between 2020 and 2025 who developed plate exposure after ORIF of lower extremity fractures. Management included local wound care with advanced dressings (Apligraf®, NuShield®), negative pressure wound therapy, targeted antibiotic therapy when indicated, and delayed hardware removal post-fracture consolidation.
resultsAll patients achieved complete wound healing, with a mean closure time of 143 days. Radiographic union was confirmed in all cases except one asymptomatic nonunion. Antibiotics were administered in four cases, guided by clinical signs and microbiological findings. No infections were detected at the time of hardware removal.
conclusionA conservative approach utilizing advanced wound care techniques and delayed hardware removal can effectively manage plate exposure without necessitating early implant removal or flap coverage. This strategy may reduce patient morbidity and preserve fracture stability.
Indexed as
Identifiers
41774203What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.