A Clinical Study on the Tibial Condylar Fracture

Cheon, Jae Young; Kim, Hak Yoon; Park, Sang Won; Lee, Hong Kun

Abstract

The tibial condylar fracture involving articular surface of the proximal tibia is common in traffic accidents. In the tibial condylar fracture, the injuries of soft tissue such as ligaments and menisci are frequently accompanied and the weight bearing surface are involved, too. So significant disability of the knee joint often results from the tibial condylar fracture. The fifty cases of the tibial condylar fracture treated at the orthopaedic department of Korea Univerity Hospital from January, 1982 to December, 1986 have been followed for 1 to 3 year The results obtained were sa follows: 1. among the fifty patients, the ratio of sex was 2.1:1 as male predoninant, and the prevalent age distributions were in the 3rd and 6th decade. 2. The most common cause of injury was traffic accident in 32 cases(64%). Second in frequency were falls in 7 cases(14%). 3. The laterality of injury was left in 29 cases(58%), right in 21 cases(42%). The locations of injury were lateral condyle in 34 cases(64%), medial condyle in eight cases(16%) and bicondyles in eight cases(16%). 4. According to the Hohls classification, the most common was type III in nineteen cases (38%). 5. The most common associated injuries were ipsilateral fibular fracture in 15 cases(30%) and ligament injury in 15 cases(30%) especially frequnt in type II and III. Among the ligament injuries, the medial collateral ligament tearing was eight cases(53%) as predominant. 6. Fifteen cases(30%) were treated by cast immobilization, two cases(4%) by skeletaltraction. Thirty-three cases(66%) were treated by operative method. 7. Thirty-seven cases(74%) revealed the rating of acceptable group according to Robertscriteria.