What is Internal Osteosynthesis?

Also known as: Plate and screw fixation, Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF), Locking plate fixation, Compression plate fixation, Anatomical locking plate, INTEOS®Lock variable-angle locking, Fracture fixation surgery, Anatomical plate osteosynthesis

Internal osteosynthesis is the surgical fixation of a fracture or osteotomy using a plate applied to the surface of the bone and screws that secure it. The goal is to restore the bone's anatomical alignment and hold it stable enough that the patient can begin functional rehabilitation early, instead of waiting weeks in a cast for the fracture to consolidate on its own. It is the workhorse of orthopaedic trauma surgery and the default operative treatment for most displaced fractures of the upper and lower extremity.

In Cyprus, OrganoGEN is the exclusive distributor of Hofer Medical Solutions (Fürstenfeld, Austria), supplying the INTEOS® anatomically pre-contoured plate system and the OSTYS® compression and cannulated screw range. The system covers the full extremity skeleton in matched anatomical shapes across four compatible tiers (XS, S, M, L), so the plate sits on the bone in its native curvature with minimal intra-operative bending and the surgeon can move between adjacent fragment sizes within a single tray.

The defining technical feature is INTEOS®Lock: a variable-angle locking interface that lets the surgeon angle each screw within a ±35° cone (70° total range) around each plate hole, while preserving full angular stability. This matters around articular surfaces, comminuted fragments, and bone of variable density, where the ideal screw trajectory is rarely the one a fixed-angle plate would dictate. The thread geometry is also engineered to virtually eliminate cold fusion (the screw-to-plate cold-welding that complicates hardware removal in some titanium locking systems), and Hofer's post-market clinical follow-up reports a 98% rate of smooth screw-to-plate release.

All implants are titanium, manufactured under MDR 2017/745, ISO 13485, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001 certifications, with 95% in-house production at Fürstenfeld, Austria, and a 24/7 service hotline for surgical-set replenishment. INTEOS® was launched in 2012, OSTYS® in 2018, and the distal Tibia System in 2024, the latest of more than two decades of trauma-osteosynthesis development from Styria.

Am I a candidate?

Good candidates

• Displaced fractures of the upper or lower extremity where reduction cannot be maintained by closed means
• Intra-articular fractures requiring anatomical reduction
• Open fractures requiring stabilisation after debridement
• Selected non-unions and malunions amenable to plate fixation
• Osteotomies requiring rigid internal fixation
• Patients who benefit from early functional rehabilitation rather than prolonged immobilisation

Patients in whom another option may be preferred

• Active infection at the planned implant site
• Severely compromised soft-tissue envelope where temporary external fixation is preferred first
• Bone stock or fracture pattern better suited to intramedullary nailing or external fixation
• Patient-specific contraindications to elective orthopaedic surgery

GESY coverage & out-of-pocket cost

For Cyprus residents enrolled in GESY, internal osteosynthesis with Hofer INTEOS® plates and OSTYS® screws is fully covered when performed by a participating surgeon at a GESY-contracted hospital. The Hofer portfolio is GESY-covered across the upper and lower extremity. The cost of the implant is included in the hospital reimbursement and patients are not billed separately for the plate or screws.

For self-pay or international patients, OrganoGEN provides hospital quotations on request. Request a quote.

Devices used in this procedure

Hofer Osteosynthesis Locking-Plate SystemOrthopaedics & Trauma · Locking Plateschevron_right

Where to have Internal Osteosynthesis in Cyprus

OrganoGEN supplies GESY-contracted hospitals across the island. Contact us for the current list of participating surgeons in: