Since 1958 the Association for the Study of Internal Fixation (ASIF) has worked to establish the experimental and biomechanical prin ciples of the operative treatment of fractures. It has been proven that immediate, pain-free mobilization, made possible by stable internal fixation, is the key to restoring function in a fractured extremity. The same principles were applied in 1972173 by Roland Schmoker, who developed a universal plate and sophisticated instrument set designed initially for the treatment of comminuted fractures of the mandible. To extend the applications of his plate to...