Dr. Piyush Madhukar Jadhao,
Senior Registrar, Jupiter Hospital – Eastern Express Highway, Thane, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
E-mail: piyushoasis@gmail.com
Background: Tibial plateau fractures are among some of the most challenging fractures to treat, associated with a high incidence of posttraumatic osteoarthritis later in life. The most commonly used surgical treatment is open reduction and fixation (ORIF) with plates and screws.
Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the radiological, clinical, and functional outcomes of patients with tibial plateau fractures treated by ORIF.
Materials and Methods: This retroprospective observational study included adult patients operated on for tibial plateau fractures using ORIF. Functional outcome was assessed by patient-reported outcome measures using Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and Short Form-36 Quality of Life questionnaires. Clinical and radiological outcomes were assessed using Modified Rasmussen’s clinical and radiological criteria.
Results: The majority of our patients had type 6 fractures (43.59%). We found a statistically significant negative correlation between the type of fracture and the KOOS total score. Clinical assessment using the Modified Rasmussen Criteria showed excellent results in 33.33% of patients, good results in 51.28% of patients, and fair and poor results in 7.69% of patients each, with an overall satisfactory clinical result in 84.61% of patients. The radiological assessment noted excellent results in 23.08% of patients, good results in 56.41% of patients, fair results in 12.82% of patients, and poor results in 7.69% of patients.
Conclusions: The preferred treatment of choice for tibial plateau fractures is open reduction internal fixation, with most patients demonstrating satisfactory (excellent to good) clinical and radiological outcomes. Operatively treated tibial plateau fractures result in improved functional outcomes, as it offers excellent anatomical reduction and rigid fixation to restore early movement and articular congruity, in addition to preventing stiffness of the knee.
Keywords: Proximal tibia fracture, ORIF, Quality of life, functional outcome, KOOS, SF-36, SMFA.
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