Variable angle locking plates (VALPs) have shaken up fracture fixation by letting surgeons tweak screw angles on the fly, unlike rigid fixed-angle plates that lock you into one path. The big question in ortho circles: do they actually cut down on malalignment—where bones heal crooked—and implant failures like screw pullout or breakage? Short answer from the trenches: yes, they often do, especially in tough cases like osteoporotic or comminuted fractures, by giving better control and grip.​