title: Complications of internal fixation of tibial plateau fractures.
abstract: All cases of displaced tibial plateau fractures treated by open reduction and internal fixation at two university hospitals over a 3-year period were retrospectively reviewed. There were 47 fractures in 45 patients. Rigid fixation to allow early motion was the goal in all cases. There were 3 AO type I (wedge) fractures, 20 AO type III (wedge/depression) fractures, and 24 AO type IV (comminuted/bicondylar) fractures. Cases were classified into three groups depending on the amount of hardware used to obtain fixation (a single buttress plate, group 1; a buttress plate and interfragmentary lag screws, group 2; or medial and lateral buttress plates with or without lag screws, group 3). In group 1, there were 20 fractures and no instances of deep-wound infection or postoperative ankylosis. In group 2, infection occurred in 6 of 19 fractures (32%), all of which also developed significant ankylosis including 1 patient who underwent arthrodesis. In group 3, 7 of 8 (87.5%) knees became infected, and the patients experienced other devastating complications, including ankylosis (n = 3), arthrodesis (n = 2), knee disarticulation (n = 1), and above-knee amputation (n = 1). Patients whose knees became infected underwent an average of five subsequent surgical procedures. These results suggest that patients with comminuted tibial plateau fractures requiring either two buttress plates or a single plate with additional interfragmentary lag screws would probably be better managed by either non-operative treatment or limited internal fixation.
authors.affiliation: Tulane Orthopaedic Service, Charity Hospital of New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Barrack
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001174:Arthrodesis; D001860:Bone Plates; D001863:Bone Screws; D005260:Female; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary; D017759:Fractures, Malunited / Q000601:surgery; D005597:Fractures, Open / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007719:Knee Joint; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*