Surgical treatment results of proximal tibial intraarticular fractures

ABSTRACTSurgical Treatment Results of Proximal Tibial Itraarticular FracturesTibial plateau fracture with different articular compression, displacement, and softtissue injury still seems to be a difficult problem in spite of improved surgical techniquesand implants.The aim of this study assess the long term functional results, the effect of fracturetype and age on success and complication rates by comparing the results were surgicallytreated patients because of tibial plateau fractures in Cukurova University Faculty ofMedicine, Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department between April 1985 and August2005.In our study, 44 male, 8 female, 52 patients were evaluated. Mean age was 38.3 (17-69) years during injury. The most common cause was traffic accidents (64%). Openreduction and internal fixation, closed reduction and internal fixation and external fixationwere performed in 33, 11 and 9 patients respectively.Major complications like deep infection in one, and nonunion in two patients, andminor complications in five patients were encountered. After a mean 7.9 years of followup, 64.2% clinical, 58.5% radiologic good and excellent results were obtained usingRasmussen?s clinical and radiologic assessment scores. Our results suggest that fracturetype is an important factor and age possibly is a factor in functional result and success rate.Using appropriate surgical techniques is mandatory because of articular component,bone and soft tissue injury of the tibial plateau fractures. In order to obtain a painless andstable knee with appropriate alignment, articular reduction must be anatomic oracceptable,and implants with high stability must be used for early motion.Keywords: Rasmussen?s criteria, Schatzker?s classification, Tibial plateau fracturevii