3.5 mm Low Profile Cortical Screw

When plates and screws are selected for fracture treatment, soft tissue and/or tendon irritation is a potential clinical problem. Screw head prominence can be especially problematic in subcutaneous locations such as the clavicle, the olecranon and the tibia. In situations where tendons sit above  the implant post fixation as observed in the distal radius, screw head prominence can also be an issue. In response to this clinical problem, a 3.5mm Low Profile Cortical Screw compatible with all Synthes 3.5mm plates has been developed. 

The 3.5 mm Low Profile Cortical Screw is intended for the fixation of fractures, osteotomies and nonunions of the clavicle, scapula, humerus, olecranon, radius, ulna, pelvis, femur, tibia, fibula, and calcaneous.

Design changes in the new screw consist of alterations to the head height, screw head outer diameter and geometry of the underside of the screw (Fig 1). These changes alter the location of the screws gauge line, allowing the 3.5 mm Low Profile Cortical Screw to be seated lower in a given plate hole (Fig 2). The new screws are available in both stainless steel and titanium and have a T15 StarDrive or Hex Drive recess.

Mechanical testing has shown that the 3.5 mm Low Profile Cortical Screw demonstrates failure torque, bending strength, and driving torque mechanically comparable to that of standard 3.5 mm cortex screws.

The new screw is an additional treatment option for surgeons with concerns about soft tissue and/or tendon irritation when using plate and screw fixation. It also addresses the clinical need to prevent or minimize additional surgical procedures to remove implants that become too uncomfortable or pose a health risk for the patient.

Hazards and labeling

Due to varying countries’ legal and regulatory approval requirements, consult the appropriate local product labeling for approved intended use of the products described on this website. All devices on this website are approved by the AO Technical Commission. For logistical reasons, these devices may not be available in all countries worldwide at the date of publication. 


Legal restrictions

This work was produced by AO Foundation, Switzerland. All rights reserved by AO Foundation. This publication, including all parts thereof, is legally protected by copyright.

Any use, exploitation or commercialization outside the narrow limits set forth by copyright legislation and the restrictions on use laid out below, without the publisher‘s consent, is illegal and liable to prosecution. This applies in particular to photostat reproduction, copying, scanning or duplication of any kind, translation, preparation of microfilms, electronic data processing, and storage such as making this publication available on Intranet or Internet.

Some of the products, names, instruments, treatments, logos, designs, etc referred to in this publication are also protected by patents, trademarks or by other intellectual property protection laws (eg, “AO” and the AO logo are subject to trademark applications/registrations) even though specific reference to this fact is not always made in the text. Therefore, the appearance of a name, instrument, etc without designation as proprietary is not to be construed as a representation by the publisher that it is in the public domain.

Restrictions on use: The rightful owner of an authorized copy of this work may use it for educational and research purposes only. Single images or illustrations may be copied for research or educational purposes only. The images or illustrations may not be altered in any way and need to carry the following statement of origin “Copyright by AO Foundation, Switzerland”.

Check www.aofoundation.org/disclaimer for more information.

 

If you have any comments or questions on the articles or the new devices, please do not hesitate to contact us


“approved by AO Technical Commission” and “approved by AO Foundation”
The brands and labels “approved by AO Technical Commission” and “approved by AO Foundation”, particularly "AO" and the AO logo, are AO Foundation's intellectual property and subject to trademark applications and registrations, respectively. The use of these brands and labels is regulated by licensing agreements between AO Foundation and the producers of innovation products obliged to use such labels to declare the products as AO Technical Commission or AO Foundation approved solutions. Any unauthorized or inadequate use of these trademarks may be subject to legal action.

AO ITC Innovations Magazine

Find all issues of the AO ITC Innovations Magazine for download here.

Meet the Experts

Directly learn about AO Approved Solutions from the Experts themselves.

Innovation Awards

Recognizing outstanding achievements in development and fostering excellence in surgical innovation.