Nails inserted without locking screws or pins provide splintage, i.e. control of lateral displacement and angulation of a fracture, but no rotational control. Nails at both proximal and distal ends provide rotational and translational control of a fracture and prevent impaction and distraction. This is referred to as static locking. When a fracture of the tibia or femur has healed to a certain degree, the locking devices at one or the other end can be removed so that weight bearing can produce dynamic compression of the fracture. This is referred to as dynamization of the nail.