U-plating of a flail segment

The intraoperative photograph shows a U-plate with the fractured rib evident beneath the midportion of the plate. This plate was used to span a flail segment (ie, two adjacent fracture lines on the same rib). The screw in the midportion of the plate is stabilizing the floating segment of rib, while two adjacent screws at each end of the plate are anchoring the plate to the intact segments of the rib.