RESUMO
This study concluded that plate failure after femoral shaft fractures is an avoidable complication when some simple precautions are considered. Proper planning of the operative procedure is mandatory before applying it to the patient. This entails a thorough study of the fracture type and stability with a special consideration to its media cortex. It enables the surgeon to predetermine the length of the plate required and the direction of the screws used. A painstaking effort should be done in preserving the blood supply to the fracture fragments. Minimal periosteal and soft tissue stripping should be considered. Bone grafting should also be considered almost in every patient regardless of the type of fracture sustained. The question is whether this bone graft is to be only cancellous or a corticocancellous in the same time. The answer will always be in the medial cortex of the femoral shaft, it demands a cortical strut when comminuted. The patients should be closely followed up, and strict postoperative instructions should always be insisted upon regardless of their own circumstances