scholarly journals A posterolateral sheared fracture of the tibial plateau: a case presentation

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinyi Feng ◽  
Yang Gu ◽  
Wuji You ◽  
Gang Rui

Abstract Background Among tibial plateau fractures, one specialized type is the posterolateral column fracture. There are few published studies on posterolateral tibial plateau fractures with a sheared fragment that was wedged into the intercondylar fossa without the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. According to our research, this case presentation is the first to describe in detail the treatment and long-term follow-up for this uncommon subtype of posterolateral tibial plateau fracture. Case presentation A 46-year-old female injured her right knee when she was riding a motorbike and was diagnosed with a posterolateral sheared tibial plateau fracture with a wedge-shaped fragment inserted into the femoral intercondylar fossa. The fracture was repaired with open reduction internal fixation surgery. The patient’s recovery was followed for four years. The degree of healing as indicated by clinical and radiological examinations was substantial. The patient exhibited an excellent range of motion for the repaired knee (0-145°) and little discomfort. The Lysholm score was 96, the hospital for special surgery score was 98, the Rasmussen clinical assessment was 28, and the Rasmussen radiological assessment was 18. Conclusion This study revealed that a posterolateral sheared tibial plateau, as seen in this case, can be reset and fixed sufficiently to achieve excellent long-term postoperative recovery.

Author(s):  
Austin H. Middleton ◽  
Madeline A. Perlewitz ◽  
Adam I. Edelstein ◽  
Carole S. Vetter

AbstractPosttraumatic arthrofibrosis is a common problem encountered in the orthopaedic setting for which there is no agreement on the optimal management strategy. The literature does not optimally describe the efficacy of arthroscopic lysis of adhesions for arthrofibrosis following tibial plateau fracture. The purpose of this study is to quantify the efficacy of arthroscopic lysis of adhesions with manipulation for the treatment of arthrofibrosis of the knee in patients who previously underwent surgical management of tibial plateau fracture. All patients who underwent arthroscopic lysis of adhesions from a single surgeon since 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by flexion, extension, and range of motion (ROM) preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively at intervals of 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks, and any additional long-term follow-up. A total of 28 patients who had developed arthrofibrosis following surgical management of a tibial plateau fracture and failed nonsurgical management of knee stiffness were included in this study. There were significant improvements in total ROM following intervention at all time points compared with preoperative values (p < 0.001), with mean improvements of 59.3 degrees intraoperatively, 32.9 degrees (1 week), 37.1 degrees (4 weeks), 41.5 degrees (8 weeks), and 47.6 degrees (12 weeks). There were significant improvements in degrees of knee flexion following intervention at all time points compared with preoperative values (p < 0.001), with mean improvements of 50.8 degrees intraoperatively, 27.3 degrees (1 week), 36.0 degrees (4 weeks), 38.3 degrees (8 weeks), and 43.9 degrees (12 weeks). There were significant increases in degrees of knee extension intraoperatively (8.5 degrees) and at 1 week postoperatively (5.9 degrees) compared with preoperative values (p <0.01). At 12 weeks postoperatively, those who had previously undergone external fixation had significantly greater increases in ROM (p = 0.048). Arthroscopic lysis of adhesions for knee arthrofibrosis following surgical management of tibial plateau fracture significantly improves knee ROM.


2020 ◽  
Vol 102-B (5) ◽  
pp. 632-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. Gonzalez ◽  
K. Hildebrandt ◽  
K. Carlock ◽  
S. R. Konda ◽  
K. A. Egol

Aims Tibial plateau fractures are serious injuries about the knee that have the potential to affect patients’ long-term function. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use patient-reported outcomes (PROs) with a musculoskeletal focus to assess the long-term outcome, as compared to a short-term outcome baseline, of tibial plateau fractures treated using modern techniques. Methods In total, 102 patients who sustained a displaced tibial plateau fracture and underwent operative repair by one of three orthopaedic traumatologists at a large, academic medical centre and had a minimum of five-year follow-up were identified. Breakdown of patients by Schatzker classification is as follows: two (1.9%) Schatzker I, 54 (50.9%) Schatzker II, two (1.9%) Schatzker III, 13 (12.3%) Schatzker IV, nine (8.5%) Schatzker V, and 26 (24.5%) Schatzker VI. Follow-up data obtained included: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) or Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores, Short Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment (SMFA), and knee range of movement (ROM). Data at latest follow-up were then compared to 12-month data using a paired t-test. Results Patient-reported functional outcomes as assessed by overall SMFA were statistically significantly improved at five years (p < 0.001) compared with one-year data from the same patients. Patients additionally reported an improvement in the Standardized Mobility Index (p < 0.001), Standardized Emotional Index (p < 0.001), as well as improvement in Standardized Bothersome Index (p = 0.003) between the first year and latest follow-up. Patient-reported pain and knee ROM were similar at five years to their one-year follow-up. In total, 15 of the patients had undergone subsequent orthopaedic surgery for their knees at the time of most recent follow-up. Of note, only one patient had undergone knee arthroplasty following plateau fixation related to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA). Conclusion Knee pain following tibial plateau fracture stabilizes at one year. However, PROs continue to improve beyond one year following tibial plateau fracture, at least in a statistical sense, if not also clinically. Patients displayed statistical improvement across nearly all SMFA index scores at their minimum five-year follow-up compared with their one-year follow-up. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(5):632–637.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (06) ◽  
pp. 611-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lasun O. Oladeji ◽  
John R. Worley ◽  
Brett D. Crist

AbstractTibial plateau fractures account for approximately 8% of fractures in the elderly population. Treatment strategies in the elderly are similar to those for younger patients; however, practitioners must account for the elevated comorbidity burden in this population. To date, few studies have analyzed age-based outcomes in patients with tibial plateau fractures. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine age-related variances in demographics, fracture characteristics, mechanism of injury, and complications. A 10-year retrospective review was conducted to identify patients who received treatment for a tibial plateau fracture. There were 351 patients (360 tibial plateau fractures) who were identified and subsequently stratified according to their age at the time of injury. Patients were classified as elderly if they were 65 years of age or older at the time of injury; all other patients were included in the control cohort. These two cohorts were analyzed using bivariate analysis to isolate for age-related variations with respect to risk factors, mechanism of injury, and complications. There were 351 patients (360 tibial plateau fractures) with a median follow-up of 1.84 ± 2.44 years who met inclusion criteria. There were a greater proportion of women in the elderly cohort as compared with the younger cohort (60.0 vs. 43.4%, p = 0.06). Elderly patients were significantly more likely to present with diabetes (33.3 vs. 16.1%, p = 0.01) or osteoporosis (14.3 vs. 1.6%, p = 0.001). Younger patients were significantly more likely to require further surgery to address ligament (12.6 vs. 0%, p = 0.008), meniscus (20.9 vs. 7.1%, p = 0.036), or cartilage pathology (13.6 vs. 0%, p = 0.005). There was no difference in the arthroplasty conversion rate (4.8% elderly vs. 7.9% control, p = 0.755). While elderly patients presented with a greater comorbidity burden, they had equivalent or better short-term outcomes when compared with their younger peers when treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). Despite the recent interest in primary total knee arthroplasty for elderly patients with tibial plateau fractures, the results of this study suggest that elderly patients may respond well when treated with ORIF following a tibial plateau fracture.


2019 ◽  
Vol 101-B (8) ◽  
pp. 1009-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. N. Ramoutar ◽  
K. Lefaivre ◽  
H. Broekhuyse ◽  
P. Guy ◽  
P. O’Brien

Aims The aim of this study was to determine the trajectory of recovery following fixation of tibial plateau fractures up to five-year follow-up, including simple (Schatzker I-IV) versus complex (Schatzker V-VI) fractures. Patients and Methods Patients undergoing open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for tibial plateau fractures were enrolled into a prospective database. Functional outcome, using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Physical Component Summary (SF-36 PCS), was collected at baseline, six months, one year, and five years. The trajectory of recovery for complex fractures (Schatzker V and VI) was compared with simple fractures (Schatzker I to IV). Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was calculated between timepoints. In all, 182 patients were enrolled: 136 (74.7%) in simple and 46 (25.3%) in complex. There were 103 female patients and 79 male patients with a mean age of 45.8 years (15 to 86). Results Mean SF-36 PCS improved significantly in both groups from six to 12 months (p < 0.001) and one to five years (simple, p = 0.008; complex, p = 0.007). In both groups, the baseline scores were not reached at five years. The SF-36 PCS was significantly higher in the simple group compared with the complex group at both six months (p = 0.007) and 12 months (p = 0.01), but not at five years (p = 0.17). Between each timepoint, approximately 50% or more of the patients in each group achieved an MCID in their score change, indicating a significant clinical change in condition. The complex group had a much larger drop off in the first six months, with comparable proportions achieving MCID at the subsequent time intervals. Conclusion Tibial plateau fracture recovery was characterized overall by an initial decline in functional outcome from baseline, followed by a steep improvement from six to 12 months, and ongoing recovery up to five years. In simple patterns, patients tended to achieve a higher functional score by six months compared with the complex patterns. However, comparable functional scores between the groups achieved only at the five-year point suggest later recovery in the complex group. Function does not improve to baseline by five years in either group. This information is useful in counselling patients about the course of prospective recovery. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1009–1014.


Author(s):  
Hrishikesh Saodekar ◽  
Kamal Agrawal

Introduction: Tibial plateau fractures are complex injuries of proximal tibia which are produced by high- or low-energy trauma and principally affect young adult population. These fractures usually have associated soft-tissue lesions affecting the treatment. Posterior tibial plateau fractures (PTPF), may be medial or lateral, are common and they occur in about 28.8% patients as a part of bicondylar tibial plateau fractures. These fractures are difficult to reduce, therefore articular incongruity was not found to be detrimental factor in final functional outcomes. Studies have supported the fact that residual articular incongruence is well tolerated by proximal tibial plateau fracture in the form of minimal functional limitation or onset of arthrosis.  Anterolateral and anteromedial surgical approaches do not show adequate reduction and fixation of posterolateral and posteromedial fragments. To achieve this, it is advised to reduce and fix the fracture through specific posterolateral or posteromedial approaches that allow optimal reduction and plate/screw placement. Material and Methods: This comparative prospective cohort study on done on 50 adult patients. Two groups were formed: Group A – double-plate fixation with both posterior and anterolateral  having 25 participants and Group B – single anterolateral plate fixation having 25 participants in PTPFs were followed up to 1 year. For Group A, the reduction was done under direct vision and assisted with fluoroscopy in two planes. The reduction was assessed with submeniscal approach. In Group B posterior fragment was reduced by screws through the anterolateral plate followed by CT scan. Patients were evaluated by radiographs every 6 weeks till fracture union is evident. Fracture union was assessed by cortical continuity and progressive loss of fracture line on X-rays. Functional status at 1-year postoperative CT scanogram was done at final follow up to record articular subsidence, nonunion, coronal, or sagittal deformities. Knee functions were assessed by the International Knee Documentation Committee 2000 subjective knee evaluation form and objective functional Knee Society Score (KSS). Results: There were 22 male and 3 female in Group A while in Group B there were 20 male and 5 female. Right tibial fracture was observed in 15 cases and left in 10 cases in group A while in Group B right fracture was seen in 17 cases and in 8 cases left sided fracture. 23 cases each in group A and B were associated with RTA. Operative time (minutes) in group A and group B was 124 ± 26.7 and 79.52± 16.22 respectively. Total mean hospitalization days were 9.4±2.6 in group A and 8.2±1.5 in group B. Union time in group A was 14.6±3.4 weeks while in group B was 15.4±3.2. Statistically significant correlation was observed in group A and B with respect to KSS clinical outcome and KSS functional outcome. Flexion deformity was observed in 3 (12%) cases in group A and in 6 (24%) cases in group B. Conclusion:  PTPF can achieve an early and satisfactory functional outcome. Rehabilitation and fracture healing are better in PTPF. Keywords: Tibial plateau fractures, PTPF, Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF)


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 232596712110278
Author(s):  
Liangjun Jiang ◽  
Erman Chen ◽  
Lu Huang ◽  
Cong Wang

Background: Arthroscopy-assisted reduction percutaneous internal fixation (ARIF) has emerged recently as an alternative treatment method in treating lower-energy tibial plateau fractures. To date, the comparison of clinical efficacy between ARIF and open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) is limited, with divergent conclusions. Purpose: To review studies on the clinical efficacy of ARIF and ORIF in the treatment of tibial plateau fracture. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A search was conducted using the PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases between inception and August 20, 2020, for retrospective and prospective studies evaluating ARIF versus ORIF in the treatment of tibial plateau fracture. We identified 6 clinical studies that met the inclusion criteria, with 231 patients treated with ARIF and 386 patients treated with ORIF. The risk of bias and the quality of evidence of the included studies were assessed. The 2 treatment types were compared in terms of clinical results and complications by using odds ratios (ORs), mean differences (MDs), or standardized mean differences (SMDs), with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity among studies was quantified using the I 2 statistic. Results: The quality of the studies was high. Compared with ORIF, treatment with ARIF led to better clinical function (SMD = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.14 to 0.48; I 2 = 15%; P = .0005), shorter hospital stay (MD = –2.37; 95% CI, –2.92 to –1.81; I 2 = 0%; P < .001), and more intra-articular lesions found intraoperatively (OR = 3.76; 95% CI, 1.49 to 9.49; I 2 = 66%; P = .005). There were no complications or significant differences between the techniques in the radiological evaluation of reduction. Conclusion: Compared with ORIF, the ARIF technique for tibial plateau fractures led to faster postoperative recovery and better clinical function and the ability to find and treat more intra-articular lesions during the operation. However, the radiological evaluation of reduction and complications were not significantly different between the 2 groups.


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