Minimally invasive transarticular plate osteosynthesis for type C fractures of distal femur / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To report the clinical results of minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO) in treatment of type C fractures of distal femur.Methods A retrospective study was conducted to an- alyze 14 consecutive cases of distal femoral fractures who had been treated with MIPPO in our department from April 2002 to February 2005.According to AO/ASIF classification,there were three cases of type C1,six cases of type C2,and five cases of type C3.At first,the fractures of articular surface were directly reduced and fixed with spongy screws.Next,the condylar fractures were indirectly reduced and fixed with buttress or LISS (less invasive stabi- lization system) plates through transarticular approach.Results Follow-ups,ranging from 10 to 32 months for 12 cases,revealed that they all reached union.The time for their bony union was 10 weeks to 12 months (mean,4.6 months).Their functional recovery was evaluated according to criteria by Kolmert and Wulff.Four cases were rated as excellent,five as good,two as fair and one as poor.The total satisfactory rate was 75%.Conclusion MIPPO is a safe and effective procedure for the type C fractures of the distal femur with the benefits of limited invasion to soft tissues and a high rate of bone union.