Smith & Nephew Releases Plating System for Long Bone Fractures

London, United Kingdom-based Smith & Nephew plc has launched its Evos Mini plating system for complex long bone fractures of the arm and leg. The system is designed specifically for traumatologists, and includes variety of mini, flat plates and screw sizes necessary to address both fracture reduction and short-term fixation while the final, load-bearing repair is being completed.

According to Smith & Nephew, a growing trend among traumatologists involves reducing long bone fractures using a mini fragment system designed for either the hand or foot. However, because the plates in these traditional systems are designed for the more rounded shape of the body’s small bones, surgeons often have to modify the plates. Because they are meant to be used on the smaller, thinner bones of the hand and foot, the screws designed for these systems are often too short to use in larger, dense long bones like the thigh or forearm.

“Simply put, the right tools make any job easier,” explained Brad Cannon, president of endoscopy, trauma and extremities for Smith & Nephew. “With our new Evos Mini plating system, surgeons now have a robust, small plating system designed specifically for the challenging size and shape of long bones.”

Organized into a single tray, each Evos Mini plating system includes three different, color-coded, size modules that offer a variety of up to eight low-profile plate geometries. Along with the plates, each module also offers the instrumentation for implementing the corresponding low-profile screw options for cortical, cancellous and osteopenic bone. With sizes up to 80 mm, the system’s screws also offer variable-angle locking technology which allows placement of a locking screw up to 15-degrees off-axis.

“The set design is optimized to follow the flow of surgery,” said William Ricci, M.D., chief of orthopedic trauma at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. “Surgeons and nurses will appreciate that all the plate options are easy to see in a single tray and the color-coding helps quickly locate the corresponding instruments and screws in their modular caddy. The simplicity of the system goes even further by introducing a unique, stair-step design for its screw caddy that assures all screws loaded are the appropriate size; potentially reducing errors in central supply by eliminating the need to measure each screw.”