Preliminary experience with Piccolo Composite™, a radiolucent distal fibula plate, in ankle fractures.

The radiolucent plate has many advantageous properties in the treatment of complex ankle fractures, particularly trimalleolar fractures. Surgeons may sometimes have difficulty observing the posterior malleolus after synthesis of lateral malleolus with a traditional plate because common materials of conventional plates are not radiolucent. In this study, the authors highlight the importance of the radiolucent property in the treatment of ankle fractures and describe their preliminary experience with a carbon fibre-reinforced polyetheretherketone distal fibula plate, with good results at 4 months' follow-up and no signs of tissue inflammatory reaction.