Use of screw locking elements improves radiological and biomechanical results of femoral osteotomies

Table 1 Torsional stiffness (Nm/deg) of all the animal's femora

		Sheep number	Osteotomized bone	Non operated bone	Difference	Percentual difference
Group 6 s	DCP + 6 s	1	1.2450	1.8961	0.6511	65.7
		2	1.9512	3.3641	1.4129	58.0
		3	1.6870	2.4488	0.7618	68.9
		4	0.9359	1.5825	0.6466	59.1
		Mean ± SD	1.45 ± 0.45^a	2.32 ± 0.78
	DCP + 6 s + 2SLE	1	2.6340	1.8145	−0.8195	145.2
		2	2.8822	1.8644	−1.0178	154.6
		3	2.9860	2.1230	−0.8630	140.7
		4	1.7810	1.1800	−0.6010	150.9
		Mean ± SD	2.57 ± 0.55*^b	1.75 ± 0.40
Group 8 s	DCP + 8 s	1	1.4410	1.6611	0.2201	86.8
		2	1.0790	1.3860	0.3070	77.9
		3	1.6130	1.8819	0.2689	85.7
		4	1.2360	1.4949	0.2589	82.7
		Mean ± SD	1.34 ± 0.23^c	1.61 ± 0.22
	DCP + 8 s + 2SLE	1	2.2540	1.2710	−0.9830	177.3
		2	1.8401	1.2000	−0.6401	153.3
		3	1.8880	1.0630	−0.8250	177.6
		4	2.5130	1.5670	−0.9460	160.4
		Mean ± SD	2.12 ± 0.32**^d	1.28 ± 0.21

Group DCP + 6 s: plate of 6 screws without SLE euthanized after 16 weeks; Group DCP + 6 s + 2SLE: plate of 6 screws with 2 SLE euthanized after 16 weeks; Group DCP + 8 s: plate of 8 screws without SLE euthanized after 8 weeks; Group DCP + 8 s + 2SLE: plate of 8 screws with 2 SLE euthanized after 8 weeks.
*p = 0.032 when comparing values of osteotomized bones of DCP + 6 s + 2SLE group with values of osteotomized bones of DCP + 6 s group (T test for unpaired samples).
**p = 0.002 when comparing values of osteotomized bones of DCP + 8 s + 2SLE group with values of osteotomized bones of DCP + 8 s group (T test for unpaired samples).
^ap = 0.018 when comparing values of osteotomized bones with their contralateral non operated bones of DCP + 6 s group (T test for paired samples).
^bp = 0.002 when comparing values of osteotomized bones with their contralateral non operated bones of DCP + 6 s + 2SLE group (T test for paired samples).
^cp = 0.001 when comparing values of osteotomized bones with their contralateral non operated bones of DCP + 8 s group (T test for paired samples).
^dp = 0.002 when comparing values of osteotomized bones with their contralateral non operated bones of DCP + 8 s + 2SLE group (T test for paired samples).

ISSN: 1471-2474