title: Magnetic resonance evaluation in long term follow up of operated lateral tibial plateau fractures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A lack of data exists on the long-term magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings after surgical repair of tibial plateau fractures (TPFs). We evaluated the MRI findings 13 to 31 years after surgical repair of TPFs, focusing especially on the pathological changes in the ligaments, menisci, and cartilage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three patients with 24 TPFs underwent open reduction and internal fixation with the same fork-shaped surgical plate that was used in our institution until 1999. No patient underwent preoperative or immediately postoperative MRI. The knees of all patients who underwent plate removal were examined by axial, coronal, and sagittal MRI. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and whole-organ magnetic resonance score (WORMS) were determined in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 24 knees exhibited MRI abnormalities. An unexpectedly high number of pathological changes in the menisci and ligaments were observed. No meniscal or ligamentous injuries were documented at the time of the injury or initial surgery, but meniscal injuries manifested in the long term. MRI in almost all cases showed a damage to the lateral meniscal, the severity of which was related to the degree of tibial plateau widening, but not to the severity of the lateral joint surface impression. The overall condition of the knee joint was satisfactory as measured by the WORMS, and there was a weak correlation between WORMS and KOOS.
authors.affiliation: Trauma Center Unfallkrankenhaus Linz - Teaching Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Garnisonstrasse 7, Linz, 4010, Austria. georg.mattiassich@gmx.at.|Ludwig-Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Vienna, Austria. georg.mattiassich@gmx.at.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mattiassich
authors.affiliation: Private Practice for Trauma Surgery, Schlierbach, Austria. ernst.foltin@aon.at.
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Foltin
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, General and Orthopaedic Hospital Stolzalpe, Stolzalpe, Austria. drpietschm@web.de.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pietsch
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, General and Orthopaedic Hospital Stolzalpe, Stolzalpe, Austria. oliver.djahani@lkh-stolzalpe.at.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Djahani
authors.affiliation: Ludwig-Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Vienna, Austria. albert.kroepfl@aon.at.|Department of Trauma Surgery, Diakonissen Clinic Schladming, Schladming, Austria. albert.kroepfl@aon.at.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kröpfl
authors.affiliation: Trauma Center Unfallkrankenhaus Linz - Teaching Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Garnisonstrasse 7, Linz, 4010, Austria. mfischmeister@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fischmeister
authors.affiliation: Institute for CT- and MRI-Diagnostic at Schillerpark, Linz, Austria. georg.scheurecker@inode.at.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scheurecker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult