Barei, J Bone Joint Surg Am 2006 - Functional Outcomes of Severe Bicondylar Tibial Plateau Fractures Treated with Dual Incisions and Medial and Lateral Plates - Article Summary

Functional Outcomes of Severe Bicondylar Tibial Plateau Fractures Treated with Dual Incisions and Medial and Lateral Plates

Barei, Benirschke, et al.·J Bone Joint Surg Am·2006·288 citations·Retrospective cohort

Background

Plate fixation of comminuted bicondylar tibial plateau fractures remains controversial. This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the perioperative results and functional outcomes of medial and lateral plate stabilization, through anterolateral and posteromedial surgical approaches, of comminuted bicondylar tibial plateau fractures.

Methods

Over a 77-month period, 83 AO/OTA type-41-C3 bicondylar tibial plateau fractures were treated with medial and lateral plate fixation through 2 exposures.
Injury radiographs were rank-ordered according to fracture severity.
Immediate biplanar postoperative radiographs were evaluated to assess the quality of the reduction.
The Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (MFA) questionnaire was used to evaluate functional outcome.

Results

23 male and 18 female patients (average age, 46 years) who completed the MFA questionnaire were included in the study group.
The mean duration of follow-up was 59 months.
2 patients had a deep wound infection.
Complete radiographic information was available for 31 patients.
17 (55%) of those patients had a satisfactory articular reduction (< or =2-mm step or gap), 28 patients (90%) had satisfactory coronal plane alignment (medial proximal tibial angle of 87 degrees +/- 5 degrees ), 21 patients (68%) demonstrated satisfactory sagittal plane alignment (posterior proximal tibial angle of 9 degrees +/- 5 degrees ), and all 31 patients demonstrated satisfactory tibial plateau width (0 to 5 mm).
Patient age and polytrauma were associated with a higher (worse) MFA score (p = 0.034 and p = 0.039, respectively).
When these variables were accounted for, regression analysis demonstrated that a satisfactory articular reduction was significantly associated with a better MFA score (p = 0.029).
Rank-order fracture severity was also predictive of MFA outcome (p < 0.001).
No association was identified between rank-order severity and a satisfactory articular reduction (p = 0.21).
The patients in this series demonstrated significant residual dysfunction (p < 0.0001), compared with normative data, with the leisure, employment, and movement MFA domains displaying the worst scores.

Conclusions

Medial and lateral plate stabilization of comminuted bicondylar tibial plateau fractures through medial and lateral surgical approaches is a useful treatment method; however, residual dysfunction is common. Accurate articular reduction was possible in about half of our patients and was associated with better outcomes within the confines of the injury severity.

Core

Functional Outcomes of Severe Bicondylar Tibial Plateau Fractures Treated with Dual Incisions and Medial and Lateral Plates

Barei, Benirschke, et al.J Bone Joint Surg Am2006288 citationsRetrospective cohort