Consecutive bilateral proximal tibial fractures after minor sports trauma.
BACKGROUND
Fractures of the proximal tibia are infrequent during childhood and adolescence. However, intra-articular fractures, growth plate separations and metaphyseal fractures do appear.


METHODS
An obese adolescent male suffered from consecutive bilateral fractures of the tibia within 6 months of each after minor sports trauma. On the left side, the injury presented as a epiphyseal separation of the Salter-Harris I type; on the right side, as a transitional two-plane fracture. Both injuries were treated by percutaneous screwing and healed without any signs of posttraumatic growth disorder.


CONCLUSIONS
Although proximal tibial injuries are rare, they frequently seem to appear bilaterally after inadequate trauma. A causal connection to morphological changes prior to physeal closure can be assumed.
Kraus
R
R
Department of Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Giessen, Giessen, Germany. ralf.kraus@chiru.med.uni-giessen.de
Berthold
L D
LD
Heiss
C
C
Lässig
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D002370:Casts, Surgical; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D017102:Fracture Healing; D006132:Growth Plate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D000072042:Salter-Harris Fractures; D012916:Soccer; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery