title: [Posterolateral approaches for treatment of pilon fractures].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect and complication of surgical treatment for Pilon fracture using the posterolateral approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  From August 2009 to March 2011, 15 patients with Pilon fractures (2 in B3,13 in C) and with a separate displaced posterior malleolar fragment was treated in two-stage: the first stage management was on stabiliztion of the soft tissue envelope with temporary external fixator of spanning arthritis, and the second stage management was open reduction and internal fixation with posterolateral approach and anteromedial or anteralateral approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were followed-up for 12 to 17 months (14.2 months in average). Thirteen of the 15 fractures healed, but 2 fractures needed autologous bone graft procedure duo to nonuion. There was no wound complication related to poterolateral incion. Fourteen fractures had less than 2 mm of incongruity of distal tibia joint. According to Baired-Jackson criteria, the results were excellent in 2 cases, good in 7, fair in 4, and poor in 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The posterolateral approach offers direct visualization for the reduction and fixation of the fibula and posterior distal fragment of the tibia Pilon fractures, faciliate the management of this difficult fracture pattern.
authors.affiliation: Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing 100035, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xie-Yuan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Man-Yi
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery*