UCP Technique Tips

Vertical slots are comprised of two (2) independent screw holes that allow for the use of standard Cortex / Cancellous screws and / or NGD Locking screws These holes enable the surgeon to compress the bone segments

To achieve compression it is recommended that you use either the AO Universal Drill Guide, Double Drill Sleeve or Cylindrical Drill Guide. The use of a DCP drill guide is not recommended. If choosing to use locking screws, a special drill guide is required. It is recommended that you lock the two(2) furthest points on the plate on either side of the osteotomy i.e. hole #1 and hole #6. Locking only one side of the osteotomy is not recommended. If choosing to lock; it is very important that you compress the segment first, then lock. It is not recommended that you lock the segment first, then compress. Single-hole compression: To compress through one hole, you could use the same technique as the Slocum plate (4,5,6,3,2,1). To gain proper compression, the surgeon must use the drill guide properly. If using the universal drill guide (with the spring back sleeve), or a drill sleeve, the guide must be leaning against the bottom side of hole # 4, or the top side of hole #3. If the guide is not placed in the hole properly, you will not gain any compression. For the same result as above but utilizing the locking screws: You could put either a locking or standard screw, in any order, in holes 4,5,6 (although at least one of them should be locking) then compress with a standard screw in hole #3, followed by locking #2 and #1. For Maximum compression: The first screw, a non-locking screw would be used in hole #4. This screw would be inserted, but not be fully tightened. The osteotomy would be manually reduced such that the screw in hole # 4 is leaning against the bottom edge of the hole. The second non-locking screw would be inserted at the top side of hole #3, and would be fully tightened. This would give you the .75mm of compression. Then, as the screw in hole # 4 is tightened, it would give you another .75mm of compression. From there, as long as the osteotomy is still aligned, the other holes can be populated with locking screws. It is recommended that you do not over-tighten locking screws