Technical paper on the measurement of bone plates and screws

Bone plates and screws are metal implants deployed in the field of trauma and extremities. The plates act like internal splints that are attached to the bone via the screws and thus hold broken pieces of bone together. Categorized as top-priority Class III devices by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), both must comply with labeling requirements, performance standards, and scientific review – while of course presenting the lowest safety risk. The measurement process is all the more vital given their complex geometries and freeform surfaces, as well as the fact that the plates may remain inside the body even after recovery. Manufacturers therefore have to meet all these requirements at scale as part of high-quality and high-efficiency operations. A new wave of computed tomography (CT) systems best exemplified by the ZEISS METROTOM 6 scout can be combined with sophisticated software solutions (ZEISS INSPECT X-Ray, ZEISS PiWeb, ZEISS CALYPSO) to enable a bold new strategy: Revealing what would otherwise remain hidden from even the most watchful of eyes – without destroying the part.