Operative Treatment of Tibial Plateau Fractures

Shin, Duck Seop; Seong, Byeong Yeon; Kim, Dong Won

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between variable factors and clinical results following the operative treatment of the tibial plateau fractures.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The clinical and radiological analysis was performed on 29 cases of the tibial plateau fractures who had been treated with operative treatment and followed up for more than 1 year from January 1991 to December 1997. The analysis of clinical results was performed dividing into age, cause of injury, fracture type of Schatzker classification, associated soft tissue injury and method of operative treatment.
RESULTS
According to Schatzker classification, 2 cases(6.9%) were type I, 11 cases(37.9%) were type II, 1 case(3.5%) was type III, 5 cases(17.2%) were type IV, 4 cases(13.8%) were type V, and 6 cases(20.7%) were type VI. In all cases, bony unions were obtained. According to Blokker evaluation, 23 cases(79.3%) of 29 cases were acceptable.
CONCLUSION
We could expect good clinical results if early knee joint mobilization following minimal invasive open reduction and internal fixation could be obtained. Bad clinical results were related with young age group under 30, more than Schatzker classification type IV of high energy trauma and associated injury of anterior cruciated ligment or meniscus.