Healing of residual screw holes after plate removal.

A single photon absorptiometric method of imaging residual screw holes after plate removal is described. Application of this technique to seven patients demonstrated that ingrowth into these defects is a protracted process which remained incomplete at 18 weeks in all seven patients. Bone mass at the site of the screw holes was, however, close to normal at 18 weeks in four young adults, lending support to the AO-ASIF recommendation that athletic activity should be avoided for 4 months after plate removal.