The pullout strength of locking head screws is higher these plates. These plates are useful for treating the fractures in osteoporotic bone, fractures with short metaphyseal segments, and fractures treated with biological fixation.

Unlike conventional plates, locking plates do not require friction between the plate and bone, and the placement of the plate is done without any contact with bone. In many cases, the design of the plate allows less contact between the plate and bone to preserve the periosteal blood supply and bone perfusion.