The options of surgical strategyin treatment for tibial tubercle fracture associated with bicondylar tibial plateau fracture / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To discuss how to make the surgical strategy for tibial tubercle fracture associated with bicondylar tibial plateau fracture.Methods:Data of thirty-five patients of tibial tubercle fractures associated with bicondylar tibial plateau fractures who were treated from October 2014 to May 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 26 males and 9 females with an average age of 37.6 years (range, 21-68 years). According to Schatzker classification in tibial plateau fracture, 16 cases were type V and 19 cases were type VI. According to the integrity of tibial tubercle fracture and cortical bone of the proximal tibia in bicondylar tibial plateau fracture, they were divided into four types type A, tibial tubercle fracture fragment and cortical bone of the proximal tibia are both complete; type B, tibial tubercle fracture fragment is complete but cortical bone of the proximal tibia is comminuted; type C, tibial tubercle fracture fragment is comminuted but cortical bone of the proximal tibia is complete; type D, both of them are comminuted. The surgical approaches and fixation methods of all the tibial tubercle fractures were according to the four different types. There were 22 cases with type A and B that were treated via an anterolateral and a medial incision, 13 cases with type C and D were treated via an anterior midline and a medial incision. There were 4 cases belonging to type A fixed with lag screws singly, 18 cases with type B fixed with 1/4 tubular plates, 7 cases with type C and 6 cases with type D fixed by 1/4 tubular plates combined with lag screws.Results:Thirty-five patients were followed up for 16.8 months (range, 12-24 months). All fractures healed with an average time of 4.7 months (range, 3-6 months). Loss of reduction didn’t occur in 34 cases except one. According to Rasmussen radiographic evaluation, the average score was 14.1 (range, 10-18) and clinical outcomes were rated with excellent in 11 cases, good in 19, fair in 5. The excellent and good rate was 85.7% (30/35) . The mean Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) scores of all cases were 86.8 (range, 64-98) and the functional scores were excellent in 22 cases, good in 10 cases and fair in 3 cases with the excellent and good rate of 91.4% (32/35) . Surgical complications included fat liquefaction in 2 cases, superficial wound infection in 1, loosening of implant in 1and traumatic arthritis in 1.Conclusion:This kind of tibial tubercle fracture associated with bicondylar tibial plateau fracture is rare and special. Therefore, the preoperative plan should be made by considering the morphological features of the tibial tubercle fragments and the cortical bone of the proximal tibia. The middle longitude approach is the best way to expose tibial tubercle fragments which should be fixed with 1/4 tubularplate and/or lag screws.