Page 168 - ASOP ROT Study Guide

Onlay devices usually consist of a plate of metal (although less rigid carbon fibre or plastic plates
are undergoing clinical trials). Plates are used to buttress weak structures around joints and to fix
long bones in the upper limb, as shown in Figure 24. They may be used in the lower limb but they
are generally not strong and certainly should not be used in the lower limb without
interfragmentary compression. These very rigid systems inhibit natural bone union and, although
they permit early movement of the whole leg, they ultimately delay healing and full load bearing
because they inhibit natural healing by eliminating micro-movement at the fracture site.
Inlay devices

http://www.eatonhand.com/complic/figures/13
60603x.htm

FIGURE ABOVE. EXAMPLES OF THE USE OF INTRAMEDULLARY NAILS, WITH AND
WITHOUT CROSS LOCKING SCREWS.