Axial load-share ratio testing to assess the healing of open tibial fractures treated with the Taylor Spatial Frame

Background:The Taylor Spatial Frame(TSF)has gained popularity among orthopedic surgeons for treating open fractures.However,a key challenge is the timely and safe removal of the frame.This study assessed the efficacy and safety of axial load-share ratio(ALSR)testing to evaluate callus healing strength after TSF treatment of open tibial fractures.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted,analyzing 180 adult patients with open tibial fractures treated at Tianjin Hospital’s Orthopedic Limb Correction Unit between August 2019 and August 2022.All patients underwent TSF external fixation surgery,and were divided into two groups based on ALSR testing.Group I(92 patients)underwent ALSR testing,with frame removal if the test value fell below 5%.Traditional methods were used for fixator removal guidance in Group II(88 patients).Clinical outcomes,including fixation duration,complications after fixator removal,and Johner-Wruhs functional scores,were compared between the two groups.Results:The groups showed no statistically significant differences(P>0.05)in sex,age,injury side,body mass index,surgery timing,or fracture type.Group I had a significantly shorter fixation duration(25.85±5.57 weeks)compared to Group II(31.82±6.98 weeks)(P<0.05).Following fixator removal,Group I demonstrated superior Johner-Wruhs scores compared to Group II,indicating better outcomes(P<0.05).Complication rates did not differ significantly between the groups at the last follow-up(P>0.05).Conclusion:Regular postoperative ALSR testing could safely and effectively guide TSF removal following open tibial fracture treatment.This method significantly reduced fixation duration compared to traditional guidance methods while maintaining efficacy and safety.

Three predictive scores compared in a retrospective multicenter study of nonunion tibial shaft fracture

BACKGROUND Delayed union,malunion,and nonunion are serious complications in the healing of fractures.Predicting the risk of nonunion before or after surgery is challenging.AIM To compare the most prevalent predictive scores of nonunion used in clinical practice to determine the most accurate score for predicting nonunion.METHODS We collected data from patients with tibial shaft fractures undergoing surgery from January 2016 to December 2020 in three different trauma hospitals.In this retrospective multicenter study,we considered only fractures treated with intramedullary nailing.We calculated the tibia FRACTure prediction healING days(FRACTING)score,Nonunion Risk Determination score,and Leeds-Genoa Nonunion Index(LEG-NUI)score at the time of definitive fixation.RESULTS Of the 130 patients enrolled,89(68.4%)healed within 9 months and were classified as union.The remaining patients(n=41,31.5%)healed after more than 9 months or underwent other surgical procedures and were classified as nonunion.After calculation of the three scores,LEG-NUI and FRACTING were the most accurate at predicting healing.CONCLUSION LEG-NUI and FRACTING showed the best performances by accurately predicting union and nonunion.

Locking compression plate+T-type steel plate for postoperative weight bearing and functional recovery in complex tibial plateau fractures

Complex tibial plateau fractures can seriously affect quality of life and physical and mental health of patients.The anatomical relationship between the proximal tibial bone and soft tissue is complex,resulting in different types of tibial plateau fractures.Violent trauma can lead to displaced fracture,serious soft tissue injury,and potentially,dislocation of the knee joint.Therefore,tibial plateau fractures are extremely unstable.AIM To assess the use of locking compression plate(LCP)+T-type steel plate for postoperative weight bearing and functional recovery of complex tibial plateau fractures.METHODS Ninety-seven patients with complex tibial plateau fractures who underwent surgery at our hospital were selected for retrospective study.Forty-nine patients had been treated with LCP+T-type steel plate limited internal fixation(study group),and 48 patients with bilateral ordinary steel plate support(control group).The operation process index,postoperative rehabilitation related index,Rasmussen score of the knee joint,tibial plateau varus angle(TPA),tibial plateau retroversion angle(PA),and surgical complications of the two groups were compared.RESULTS The operation time and intraoperative bone graft volume in the study group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in surgical bleeding,anterior external incision length,postoperative drainage,hospital stay duration,and fracture healing time between the groups(P>0.05).There was no significant difference in the TPA and PA angle between the groups immediately and 18 mo after surgery(P>0.05).At 12 mo after surgery,the Rasmussen scale score was higher in the study group than in the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the Rasmussen scale score at 18 mo after surgery,and the radiology score at 12 and 18 mo after surgery,between the two groups(P>0.05).The postoperative complication rate in the study group(3.77%)was lower than that in the control group(15.09%;P<0.05).CONCLUSION LCP+T-type steel plate internal fixation has advantages in terms of minimizing trauma and enabling early postoperative functional exercise,promoting functional recovery and lower limb weight-bearing,and reducing postoperative complications.

Comparison between computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in clinical diagnosis and treatment of tibial platform fractures

BACKGROUND Tibial plateau fracture is one of the common fracture types.It occurs mainly in teenagers and is usually caused by a fall.After the occurrence of fracture,knee swelling,pain,limited activity,etc.greatly affect the patient’s exercise habits and lifestyle.X-ray,computed tomography(CT)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)were used in this examination.X-rays are relatively new and easy to operate.However,there are some errors in the observation of fracture collapse and fracture displacement.In recent years,CT and MRI have been actively used to diagnose various types of clinical fractures.They have more diagnostic power than X-ray film.However,some scholars believe that CT is also prone to errors in clinical application.The volume effect leads to missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis in some cases,while the multidirection scanning of MRI technology can effectively overcome the shortcomings of CT.To facilitate the selection of clinical examination regimens,this study further observed the diagnostic ability of these two regimens in the diagnosis of tibial plateau fractures.AIM To explore the value of nuclear MRI and CT in the clinical diagnosis of tibial plateau fractures.METHODS A total of 120 patients with tibial plateau fractures admitted from September 2017 to August 2019 were included.All patients were examined by nuclear MRI and CT scanning.The results were sent to senior physicians in our hospital to complete the diagnosis.RESULTS Nuclear magnetic resonance showed the same effects as CT in four aspects:fracture displacement,bone defect,fracture site and fracture comminution.There was no significant difference in the score data(P>0.05).Nuclear magnetic resonance and CT tended to be consistent in the B3,C2 and C3 fracture diagnosis coincidence rate,combined injury detection rate and fracture detection rate.The diagnostic coincidence rate of type B1,B2 and C1 fractures and the accuracy rate of overall fracture classification indicated that the MRI technique was significantly better than that of CT(P>0.05).CONCLUSION MRI and CT have good diagnostic typing in the diagnosis of tibial plateau fractures,but MRI is more accurate and may be preferred.

Early complications of preoperative external traction fixation in the staged treatment of tibial fractures:A series of 402 cases

BACKGROUND Different external skeletal fixators have been widely used in preoperative traction of high-energy tibial fractures prior to a definitive surgical treatment.However,the early complications associated with this staged treatment for traction and soft tissue injury recovery have rarely been discussed.AIM To analyze the early complications associated with preoperative external traction fixation in the staged treatment of tibial fractures.METHODS A total of 402 patients with high-energy tibial fractures treated using preoperative external traction fixation at a Level 1 trauma center from 2014 to 2018 were enrolled in this retrospective study.Data regarding the demographic information,Tscherne soft tissue injury,fracture site,entry point placement,and duration of traction were recorded.Procedure-related complications such as movement and sensation disorder,vessel injury,discharge,infection,loosening,and iatrogenic fractures were analyzed.RESULTS The mean patient age was 42.5(18-71)years,and the mean duration of traction was 7.5(0-26)d.In total,19(4.7%)patients presented with procedure-related complications,including technique-associated complications in 6 patients and nursing-associated complications in 13.Differences in the incidence of complications with respect to sex,affected side,soft tissue injury classification,and fracture sites were not observed.However,the number of complications due to hammer insertion was significantly reduced than those due to drill insertions(2.9%vs 7.4%).CONCLUSION We found a low incidence of early complications related to the fixation.Furthermore,the complications were not significantly associated with the severity of the soft tissue injury and fracture site.Although relatively rough and more likely to cause pain,the number of complications associated with hammer insertion was significantly smaller than that of complications associated with drill insertion.

Outcome of application of primary versus secondary Illizarov＇s fixator in open tibial shaft fractures

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to compare outcome of primary and secondary Illizarov's fi xator application as a treatment method for type III open tibial fractures in terms of nonunion and wound infection.METHODS: This prospective study was done in a tertiary care center. Forty-eight type III tibial fractures were treated with Illizarov's apparatus between 2008 and 2011. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the treatment protocol, timing of wound closure and Illizarov's application, primary(n=28) and secondary(n=20).RESULTS: In the primary group, healing was achieved in all 28 patients. The median time to recovery was 24 weeks, and the median number of operations was 3. There were 6 patients with a bone defect. In the secondary group, complete recovery was achieved in 18 out of 20 patients. The median time to recovery was 30 weeks, and the median number of operations 5. There were 9 patients with a bone defect. The median time to recovery and the number of operations were signifi cantly smaller in patients undergoing primary operation. Union was 100% in the primary group and more than 95% in the secondary group. Chronic osteomyelitis persisted in one patient and below amputation was done in one patient in the secondary group.CONCLUSION: Primary wound closure and Illizarov's fixation required a smaller number of operations and shorter time to recovery than secondary wound closure and Illizarov's fi xation, mostly due to a signifi cantly less number of patients with a bone defect in the primary group.

Correlative Factors Research of Tibial Shaft Fracture with Ipsilateral Posterior Malleolar Crack Fractures

Background:Missed diagnosis rate of spiral tibia shaft fracture with posterior malleolus crack fracture(PMCF)is high in the clinical.However,the mechanism and related factors of fracture are still unclear.Moreover,PMCF has been observed in other types of tibial shaft fractures.Objective:To explore the correlative factors of tibial shaft fracture with ipsilateral PMCF,decrease the rate of clinical missed diagnosis,strengthen the effective fixation of PMCF,and reduce the incidence of traumatic arthritis.Methods:From September 2014 to May 2019,we collected 137 tibiofibular fracture.Only 68 cases involved in ankle joint CT examination and were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into posterior malleolus group(30 cases)and non-posterior malleolus group(38 cases)according to whether come up PMCF or not.The posterior malleolus group contained 24 males and 6 females,27-77(47.57±11.79)years old,the non-posterior malleolus group contained 23 males and 15 females,18-85(48.71±13.84)years old.The gender,age,location,fibula fracture and tibial shaft fracture classification were observed for univariate and multivariate analysis.Results:The probability of PMCF was higher with right tibial shaft fracture(OR=3.6995%CI:1.13-12.08 P<0.05);the probability of PMCF following distal fibular fracture was higher than that without fibular fracture(OR=11.3695%CI:1.72-75.05 P<0.05);the probability of PMCF with type A tibial shaft fracture was higher than type C(OR=4.8295%CI:1.19-19.58 P<0.05).Conclusion:Right type A tibial shaft fracture accompanied by distal fibular fracture are very important factors related to PMCF,which needs highly attention to avoid clinical missed diagnosis.

MIPPO technique and LCP internal fixation for open tibial shaft fractures

Objective To explore the efficacy of minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO) technique and locking compression plate (LCP) for open tibial shaft fractures.Methods From March 2005 to May 2009,16 cases with open tibial

Exclusive Fibula Osteosynthesis for Treating Open Fractures Gustillo I-III B of the Distal Half of the Leg Bones in a Resources-Limited Setting

Introduction: Management of open leg bones fractures is a challenging health issue for the surgeon, particularly true in resource-limited settings. In this study, we evaluate exclusive fibular osteosynthesis in the treatment of open fractures of the distal half of the leg bones as a therapeutic option in our context. Methods: This is a prospective, experimental, multicenter study of 30 open fractures of the distal half of the leg bones treated with exclusive fibula osteosynthesis, conducted in 3 hospitals in the DRC from January 1, 2013 to September 30, 2016. Results: The age range of 20 to 40 years grouped 22 (73.4%) patients, the sex ratio was 1:1 and the unemployed were the most involved with 16 (53.3%) cases. The Gustilo II, I, III B and III A types represented 40%, 33.3%, 20% and 6.7%, respectively. The fractures were located in the distal third in 12 (40%) cases, in the middle third in 11 (36.7%) cases, and in both malleoli in 7 cases (23.3%). Osteosynthesis of the fibula by screw plate was applied in 22 (73.3%) patients and pinning in 8 (26.7%). Satisfactory reduction of the tibial fracture site was achieved in 29 (96.7%) cases and 100% bone healing was achieved within an average of 10 weeks. Four (13.3%) loss of alignment, 1 (3.3%) infection, 1 (3.3%) skin necrosis and 2 (6.7%) ankle stiffness complicated our fractures. Conclusion: Exclusive osteosynthesis of the fibula as a common technique for fractures of the distal half of the leg bones allowed us to reduce, immobilize and consolidate the tibial fracture in the required time and to preserve the mobility of the ankle.

PERCUTANEOUS REDUCTION AND STABILIZATION OF COMPLEX TIBIAL PLATEAU FRACTURES

Mechanical traction and percutaneous reduction by leverage and fixation by a bilateral groove externalfixator were performed on 23 patients with complex tibial plateau fractures involving a depressed and splitfragments. The fixator is composed of two long groove frames, three to five nuts, hooked bolts and Stein-manns pins.All fractures united in good position in three months with no incision (only pinpricks), llttle operativetrauma and no significant complications but pintract infection, and the flexion-extension range of kneemovement was excllent in all patients, so that this technique is particularly advisable for complex tibialplateau fractures.

Therapeutic effect of two methods on avulsion fracture of tibial insertion of anterior cruciate ligament

BACKGROUND The tibial stop of anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) is fan-shaped and attached to the medial groove in front of the intercondylar spine,which is located between the anterior horn of the medial and lateral meniscus.The incidence of this fracture is low previously reported,which is common in children and adolescents.With the increase of sports injury and traffic injury and the deepening of understanding,it is found that the incidence of the disease is high at present.AIM To explore the difference between open reduction and internal fixation with small incision and high-intensity non-absorbable suture under arthroscopy in the treatment of tibial avulsion fracture of ACL.METHODS Seventy-six patients with tibial avulsion fracture of anterior cruciate ligament diagnosed and treated in Guanyun County People’s Hospital from April 2018 to June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the surgical methods,they were divided into group A(40 cases) and group B(36 cases).Patients in group A were treated with arthroscopic high-strength non-absorbable suture,and patients in group B were treated with small incision open reduction and internal fixation.The operation time,fracture healing time,knee joint activity and functional score before and after operation,and surgical complications of the two groups were compared.RESULTS The operation time of group A was higher than that of group B,and the difference was statistically significant(P < 0.05);the fracture healing time of group A was compared with that of group B,and the difference was not statistically significant(P > 0.05);The knee joint function activity was compared between two groups before operation,3 mo and 6 mo after operation,and the difference was not statistically significant(P > 0.05);the knee joint function activity of group A and group B at 3 mo and 6 mo after operation was significantly higher than that before operation(P < 0.05);the limp,support,lock,instability,swelling,upstairs,squatting,pain and Lysholm score were compared between the two groups before and 6 mo after operation,and the difference was not statistically significant(P > 0.05);the scores of limp,support,lock,instability,swelling,upstairs,squatting,pain and Lysholm in group A and group B at 6 mo after operation were significantly higher than those before operation(P > 0.05);the surgical complication rate of group A was 2.63%,which was lower than 18.42% of group B,and the difference was statistically significant(P > 0.05).CONCLUSION Both small incision open reduction and internal fixation and arthroscopic high-strength nonabsorbable sutures can achieve good results in the treatment of anterior cruciate ligament tibial avulsion fractures.The operation time of arthroscopic high-strength non-absorbable sutures is slightly longer,but the complication rate is lower.

Biomechanical Comparison of Gourd-shaped LCP versus LCP for Fixation of Comminuted Tibial Shaft Fracture

The purpose of this study was to compare monotonic biomechanical properties of gourd-shaped LCP fixation with LCP fixation of human tibial shaft in gap fracture mode. Twenty paired fresh cadaveric human tibias were randomly divided into 4 groups （5 pairs each）： （1） axial loading sin- gle cycle to failure testing, （2） torsion single cycle to failure testing, （3） 4-point bending single cycle to failure testing, and （4） dynamic 4-point bending testing. A 7-hole 4.5 mm gourd-shaped LCP was se- cured on the anteromedial surface of 1 randomly selected bone from each pair, respectively, using 6 locking screws in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th hole with the middle hole unfilled and just located at the mid-diaphysis of the tibia. A 7-hole 4.5 mm LCP was secured on the other bone with the same method. Standard AO/ASIF techniques were used. After fixation finished, a 10 mm gap in the mid-diaphysis of tibia was created, centrally located at the unfilled hole. The axial, torsional, and bending stiffness and failure strengths were calculated from the collected data in static testings and statisti- cally compared using paired Student＇s t-test. The 4-point bending fatigue lives of the two constructs were calculated from the dynamic testing data and also statistically compared using paired Student＇s t-test. Failure modes were recorded and visually analyzed. P〈0.05 was considered significant. Results showed that the axial, torsional and bending stiffness of gourd-shaped LCP construct was greater （4%, 19%, 12%, respectively, P〈0.05） than that of the LCP construct, and the axial, torsional and bending failure strengths of gourd-shaped LCP construct were stronger （10%, 46%, 29%, respectively, P〈0.05） than those of the LCP construct. Both constructs failed as a result of plate plastic torsional deformation. After axial loading and 4-point bending testings, LCP failed in term of an obvious deformation of bent apex just at the unfilled plate hole, while the gourd-shaped LCP failed in term of a deformation of bent arc between the 3rd and 5th holes, which indicated a more consistent stress distribution on gourd-shaped LCP. Fatigue life of gourd-shaped LCP construct was significantly greater than LCP construct （153 836±2 228 vs. 132 471±6 460 cycles, P〈0.01）. All constructs failed as a result of fracture of the plate through the compression hole of the unfilled combination screw hole. The biomechanical testing showed that gourd-shaped LCP can provide greater stiffness and strength, and longer fatigue life than LCP. The gourd-shaped LCP may be more advantageous mechanically and may reduce the plate breakage rate clinically.

Management of proximal tibial stress fracture associated with advanced knee osteoarthritis:A systematic review

Purpose:Tibial stress fracture associated with knee osteoarthritis is an unusual and difficult clinical scenario.There is no clear existing treatment guideline for this uncommon clinical disease.The aim of this study is to review the impact of various treatment options for patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis associated with proximal tibial stress fracture.Methods:The study was performed using the databases of PubMed and Scopus.Methodological index for non-randomized studies score was used to evaluate the included studies’bias.The concluded data included the treatment approach,reported outcome measure,and time to fracture union.The literature search was started in December 2021 and accomplished in January 2022.A narrative description of the different methods and comparison of their results were done.Results:Out of total assessed 69 studies,9 studies were included in our review.The commonest treatment approach used was total knee arthroplasty by long tibial stem extension.The mean preoperative knee society score and knee functional score were 30.62 and 23.17,respectively.The mean postoperative knee society knee score was 86.87,while the functional score was 83.52.The average reported time to achieve fracture union was 4 months(a range of 2.07-5.50 months).Conclusion:The optimal clinical outcome for treating either acute or mobile tibial stress fracture in patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis can be achieved with long stem total knee arthroplasty.However,due to heterogeneity of data,comparison of different treatment options for chronic proximal tibial stress fracture mal-union/non-union coexisting with knee osteoarthritic and such inferences need to be judged cautiously.

Arthroscopically assisted treatment for Schatzker type Ⅰ-Ⅴ tibial plateau fractures

Objective： To report the clinical outcome of arthroscopically assisted treatment for tibial plateau fractures. Methods： A total of 39 patients with tibial plateau fractures were treated by arthroscopic fixation from February 2002 to December 2005, including 11 patients with bony avulsion of the anterior cruciate ligament and 19 with meniscal injury. There were 4 cases of type Ⅰ fracture, 12 type Ⅱ, 9 type Ⅲ, 12 type Ⅳ and 2 type Ⅴ according to Schatzker criteria. Firstly, the combined injuries were treated. Then the plateau fractures with the displacement over 3 mm or more were reduced and fixed. Finally, the internal fixation was observed by X-ray equipment. Postoperative management was early motion and delayed weight bearing. Results： All the fractures healed in 3 or 4 months. All patients were followed up for 1 to 5 years after operation.No case had severe complications, such as poor wound healing, infection, osteofascial compartment syndrome and osteoarthfitis. According to the Rasmussen scoring system, 36 cases obtained excellent or good results and the other 3 cases had moderate clinical results. The average score was 26 ± 3. Conclusions： As an adjuvant treatment of intraarticular fractures such as tibial plateau fracture, arthroscopy has many advantages. It can treat associated intraarticular soft tissue components, visualize the chondral surface reduction, lavage the hematoma and smaller loose fragments, decrease soft tissue dissection, reduce the risk of scarring and promote rapid recovery.

A two-choice strategy through a medial tibial approach for the treatment of pilon fractures with posterior or anterior fragmentation

Objective： The anterolateral approach to the tibia has been popularized for the management of tibial pilon fractures. For complex fracture patterns a com- bined anterolateral/anteromedial approach is suitable but a high rate of complication has been reported. In our retro- spective study a two-choice strategy adopting a medial tibial approach was proposed for the treatment of pilon fractures with anterior or posterior fragmentation. Methods： Based on an anatomic study oftibial pilon fractures, we retrospectively analyzed the fractures with primary posterior, posterior-lateral or anterior, anterior-lat- eral （Tillaux-Chaput） involvement of the distal tibia. This retrospective study consisted of 18 patients with a closed tibial plafond fracture. The inclusion criteria were： （1） pre- sence of an anterior/anterolateral type fragment or a poste- rior （Volkmann） type fragment involving 〉25% of the articu- lar surface, （2） a minimum follow-up of 12 months, （3） a fibula fracture associated with a medial colunm fracture of the distal tibia, and （4） soft tissue conditions at the time of opera- tion that did not compromise the choice of surgical access （Tscheme classification for closed fractures： grade 0 and grade 1）. Tibial plafond fractures were classified into two groups： one presenting anterior and the other with poste- rior rim （Volkmann） fragments. Results： Most patients achieved a good clinical re- covery in terms of range of motion and Olerud-Molander scale scores. Only three patients presented a grade 2 os- teoarthritis at the 12 month follow-up. Conclusion： Our two-choice strategy highlights con- cepts which have been previously debated and described in the literature. But a new extended protocol for surgical approach to the distal tibia, including more fracture pat- terns and their association should be further investigated.

Comparative prospective study between medial and lateral distal tibial locking compression plates for distal third tibial fractures

Purpose： Tibial fracture is the most common long bone fracture. Distal third tibial fractures are chal- lenging though open reduction and plating can result in anatomical reduction and rigid fixation. This paper aimed to evaluate and compare the results of medial and lateral locking compression plates for distal third tibial fractures. Methods： This prospective clinical study involved 36 patients with distal tibial fractures admitted in Department of Orthopaedics, Sawai Mansingh Medical College ＆ Affiliated Hospital, Jaipur, India, from June 2011 to May 2012, including 29 closed fractures and 7 open fractures at the mean age of 38.9 years. Thirty-six patients were divided equally into two groups based on treatment method, including medial plating group （18 patients） and lateral plating group （18 patients）. They were followed up for at least 5 months after discharge. The functional outcomes were evaluated using Tenny and Wiss clinical assess- ment criteria. Results： Malunion was found in 3 cases of medial plating group and in 1 case of lateral plating group. In the medial plating group, there were 5 cases of superficial infections, 1 deep infection, 1 nonunion and 3 wound dehiscence. In the lateral plating group, there was 1 case of superficial infections, 1 deep infection and 1 nonunion, in the lateral plating group, 4 patients reported feeling the plates and screws but none of them asked to remove the hardware. In the medial plating group, 9 patients reported symptomatic hardware problems and 7 asked to remove the hardware. The number of cases graded as excellent/good/ fair was 1/8/7 in the medial plating group and 3/7/7 in the lateral plating group respectively. In the medial plating group, the final range of motion was 17.2° in ankle dorsiflexion and 30.7° in ankle plantar flexion. In the lateral plating group, the final range of motion was 19° in ankle dorsiflexion and 34.2° in ankle plantar flexion. Conclusion： Lateral plating of distal tibia is safe and feasible, which can provide biological fixation and prevent the soft tissue complications associated with medial plating.

Does a staged treatment of high energy tibial plateau fractures affect functional results and bony union?A case series

Purpose:Tibial plateau fracture(TPF)is a devastating injury as it shatters lower articular surface of the largest joint.Apart from bony injury,TPF can lead to great soft tissue envelope compromise which affects the treatment plan and outcome.In the present study,clinical results were assessed in cases of high energy TPFs treated in staged manner.Methods:Twenty-three(20 males and 3 females)patients of high energy communited TPFs(Schatzker typeⅤandⅥ)were consecutively treated.1 All the patient had compromise of overlying skin conditions.They were all successively scheduled for staged treatment plan which comprised of application of bridging knee external fixator on the first day of admission and definitive internal fixation after skin and soft tissue overlying the fracture were healed.Schatzker typeⅠ,Ⅱ,ⅢandⅣwere excluded from the study.Primary survey was done and patient who had head injury,chest and abdominal injury,pelvic injury and contralateral limb injury and open fractures were excluded from the study.The patients were also evaluated in terms of wound complications,axial and rotary alignment of limb,fixation failure,articular congruity and range of motion of the knees and post injury employment.Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software.Results:Maximum follow-up period was 13 months.All the fractures were united at final follow-up.Clinical evaluation was done with the Tegner Lysholm knee scoring scale.2 Excellent results were found in 78%cases and good and fair results in 22%cases.There was significant correlation between range of motion and the Tegner Lysholm knee score(p<0.001,Pearson correlation coefficient=0.741).The correlation between the score and the radiographical union duration was significant(p=0.006,Pearson correlation coefficient=-0.554).Conclusion:A staged treatment plan allows healing of soft tissue envelope,with avoidance of dreadful complications such as compartment syndrome and chronic infection.In addition,a staged treatment strategy does not hamper the fracture reduction,bony union and the functional results.

Hoffa fracture associated with femoral shaft and proxi-mal tibial fractures： report of two cases

Solitary coronal shear fractures of femo- ral condyle, such as Hoffa＇s fracture, are usually associated with supracondylar or intercondylar fractures of the femur. These fractures are rare and seen in the context of high energy mechanism leading to multiple injuries; therefore a thorough workup of the patient is required to rule out other significant injuries. Hoffa＇s fracture associated with femo- ral shaft and proximal tibial fractures is extremely rare and no such injury has been reported previously. We report two such cases which were managed with standard operativefixation techniques and demonstrated good to excellent func- tional outcome after a follow-up of one year. This report emphasizes that high index of suspicion is required for di- agnosis of these injuries and a thorough workup is manda- tory to rule out other associated injuries. We also propose a possible mechanism of injury.

Timing of internal fixation and effect on Schatzker IV-VI tibial plateau fractures

Objective： To study the effect of internal fixation performed at different times on therapeutic outcomes of Schatzker IV-VI tibial plateau fractureS. Methods： The clinical data of 42 cases ofSehatzker IV- VI tibial plateau fractures treated in our department were analyzed retrospectively. Among these 42 patients, 21 re- ceived surgical treatment within 12 h after injury, （Group I）, the other 2 [ were first treated by traction or piaster fixation followed by a delayed internal fixation after soft tissue swell- i ing subsided （Group II）. The surgical time, comPlications, length of hospital stay, cost of hospitalization, and time for i fracture union, as well as functional recovery were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results： After 10-28 months follow-up （mean 16.5 months）, except 5 cases who lost to follow-upl no differ-ences were found between the two groups regarding surgi- cal time, preoperative and postoperative complications, heal- ing time or the Hospital for Special Surgery （HSS） score at the end of follow-up, but significant differences were found in the length of hospital stay, cost of hospitalization and HSS score at 3 months after operation （P〈0.05）. Conclusion： Under certain conditions, early internal fixation for Schatzker IV-VI tibial plateau fracture is feasible, which can shorten the length of hospital stay, decrease the cost of hospitalization and promote early functional rehabilitation.