title: A posterior reversed L-shaped approach for the tibial plateau fractures-A prospective study of complications (95 cases).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was aiming to investigate intraoperative and postoperative complications and outcomes of a posterior reversed L-shaped approach (PRLA) in the treatment of the tibial plateau fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inclusion criterion was tibial plateau fractures treated through the PRLA either separated or combined with other approaches. Main exclusion criterion was poly-trauma patients. Ninety-five patients with tibial plateau fractures from a prospectively collected database were included and followed in this study. The intraoperative and postoperative complications consisted of vascular and nerve injury, wound infection, dehiscence, haematoma, nonunion, skin necrosis and skin paresthesia. Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score (HSS) was adopted to evaluate patients' knee function while Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) was used to investigate the patients' general health status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients' average age was 46.2 years old (range, 22.0-89.0). The fractures were mainly from high energy injuries involving posterior (and medial) column. 78 of 95 cases were combined with an additional anterolateral approach due to the lateral column involvement. The average follow-up was 52.0 months (range, 12.4-102.6). The total complications rate was 4.2% (4/95). Intraoperative complications occurred in two patients (2.1%). One suffered a popliteal artery injury resulted from an antero-posteriorly drilled K-wire. The patient had a loss of 7° knee extension at one year's follow-up. The other endured an injury of nutrient vessel within the medial head of gastrocnemius. Postoperative skin paresthesia occurred in two patients (2.1%). The other complications associated with the PRLA were not observed. The mean HSS score was 96.1 (range, 80-100). The mean SF-36 score was 94.2 (range, 80-100).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The posterior reversed L-shaped approach allows satisfied visualization of the medial and posterior tibial plateau and has promising clinical results with low complication occurrence. It can be recommended as a routine approach for the treatment of the tibial plateau fractures involving the posterior column.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Trauma Service III, Dept. of Orthop. Surg., Shanghai Jiaotong University affiliated Shanghai 6th People's Hospital, 600 YiShan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei-Jian
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Trauma Service III, Dept. of Orthop. Surg., Shanghai Jiaotong University affiliated Shanghai 6th People's Hospital, 600 YiShan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Trauma Service III, Dept. of Orthop. Surg., Shanghai Jiaotong University affiliated Shanghai 6th People's Hospital, 600 YiShan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Trauma Service III, Dept. of Orthop. Surg., Shanghai Jiaotong University affiliated Shanghai 6th People's Hospital, 600 YiShan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China.
authors.forename: Ya-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Trauma Service III, Dept. of Orthop. Surg., Shanghai Jiaotong University affiliated Shanghai 6th People's Hospital, 600 YiShan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu-Kai
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Trauma Service III, Dept. of Orthop. Surg., Shanghai Jiaotong University affiliated Shanghai 6th People's Hospital, 600 YiShan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China. Electronic address: cong_fengl@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: CongFeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001860:Bone Plates; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D017102:Fracture Healing; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Complications; Posterior reversed L-shaped approach; Tibial plateau