Fatayri BEL, et al. - Researchers assessed patients with distal fibula fracture, who underwent surgery with locking plates or non-locking plates over a 2-year period, to determine their radiographic bone union rates at 6 and 12 weeks of follow up, then wound complications and hardware removal rates, and construct cost. Forty-two patients received treatment with non-locking plates (VIVES - Stryker) and 63 received treatment with locking plates (VariAx - Stryker). Anterior-posterior and lateral X-rays of the ankle were used to determine the presence or absence of bone union. Patient records were analyzed to assess data on wound complications and hardware removal. Outcomes indicated that non-locking constructs are comparably efficacious to locking constructs in the treatment of displaced distal fibula fractures at a substantially lower cost.