MIO helical plate: technically easy, improving biology and mechanics of double plating

A single plate, bridging a bone defect, e.g. in the distal femur, risks irreversible deformation or breakage. Double plating, served early on to protect by strengthening the construct. The mechanical advantage provided was uncontested, but the biological damage (both for the access for plate placement and the vascular damage by the old plate types, fixed to the bone by friction) was disturbing. The helical plate is an internal fixator (introduced with MIO technique) that requires no additional exposure of the fracture site, is technically easy to prepare and needs minimal additional exposure and it replaces the missing remote cortical support by acting as a kind of tension/compression band with good leverage; this is why it seems to be the adequate modern solution of double plating in distal femur, offering several advantages.