Does posterior configuration have similar strength as parallel configuration for treating comminuted distal humerus fractures? A cadaveric biomechanical study

Table 1 Biomechanical measurements (stiffness, elastic limit, failure stiffness, failure load) and the distal medial and lateral column interfragmental displacements without loading force in axial loading and posterior bending directions after the 5000-cycle fatigue test for the parallel, Y, and posterior two plating group

	Parallel plating	Y plating	Posterior two plating	P-value (Kruskal-Wallistest)
Axial loading
Stiffness (50-200N)(N/mm	590.20 ± 125.93	632.35 ± 182.44	607.50 ± 91.91	0.981
Elastic limit (N)	377.36 ± 115.34	502.96 ± 214.44	357.49 ± 132.23	0.491
Failure stiffness (N/mm)	500.73 ± 165.18	460.13 ± 33.94	517.27 ± 105.15	0.595
Failure load (N)	1795.87 ± 413.66	1181.36 ± 249.11	1309.14 ± 274.26	0.116
Lateral column displacement (mm)	1.60 ± 1.64	1.38 ± 0.89	1.62 ± 0.85	0.594
Medial column displacement (mm)	1.88 ± 2.36	2.28 ± 0.79	0.80 ± 0.58	0.155
Posterior bending
Stiffness (50-200N)(N/mm)	181.61 ± 58.81	34.76 ± 11.04^†	309.87 ± 97.99	0.004
Elastic limit (N)	185.26 ± 36.42	157.10 ± 22.11	171.12 ± 56.12	0.566
Failure stiffness (N/mm)	80.38 ± 29.49	18.05 ± 4.88^†	174.80 ± 59.20^‡	0.002
Failure load (N)	568.86 ± 202.13	283.31 ± 38.16^†	594.52 ± 122.95	0.009
Lateral column displacement (mm)	1.83 ± 0.81	10.73 ± 6.04^‡	2.18 ± 0.73	0.008
Medial column displacement (mm)	2.45 ± 2.55	15.36 ± 7.59^‡	1.63 ± 0.59	0.009

^†Significantly the lowest with post-hoc test (Mann-Whitney U-test; supplementary table 1) for pairwise comparisons, p < 0.05
^‡Significantly the highest with post-hoc test (Mann-Whitney U-test; supplementary table 1) for pairwise comparisons, p < 0.05

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