Prospective cohort study examining knee function and posttraumatic arthrosis at a minimum of 5 years (mean 98 months) after high-energy tibial plateau fractures treated with monolateral external fixation and limited internal fixation — a population previously unstudied at long-term follow-up.
When you see a high-energy bicondylar tibial plateau fracture with severe soft-tissue injury, external fixation with limited internal fixation can yield durable functional outcomes — good Iowa Knee Scores and low rates of severe arthrosis — well into the second decade.
Patient weight is a more meaningful prognostic factor than fracture openness or residual articular step-off.
Prospective cohort study examining knee function and posttraumatic arthrosis at a minimum of 5 years (mean 98 months) after high-energy tibial plateau fractures treated with monolateral external fixation and limited internal fixation — a population previously unstudied at long-term follow-up.
When you see a high-energy bicondylar tibial plateau fracture with severe soft-tissue injury, external fixation with limited internal fixation can yield durable functional outcomes — good Iowa Knee Scores and low rates of severe arthrosis — well into the second decade.
Patient weight is a more meaningful prognostic factor than fracture openness or residual articular step-off.