Incidence and risk factors for decreased range of motion of the knee joint after surgery for closed tibial plateau fracture in adults

Is Staged Surgery Always Necessary for Schatzker Type IV-VI Tibial Plateau Fractures? A Comparison Study

AIMS

This study aims to compare the outcomes of immediate (followed by closed-incision negative-pressure therapy use) versus delayed ORIF in patients with Schatzker type IV-VI TPFs.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A prospective study of patients undergoing ORIF between January 2018 and December 2019 was performed. The inclusion criteria were patients (>18 years) with a closed fracture sent to the emergency room (ER) within 24 h of injury. All the patients underwent preoperative image evaluation. Two senior orthopedic trauma surgeons evaluated the soft tissue condition in the ER by 5P's of the compartment syndrome, judging the timing of the operation of definitive ORIF. Group 1 (n = 16) received delayed ORIF. Group 2 (n = 16) received immediate ORIF and ciNPT use. Patient follow-up occurred after 2 and 6 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. The assessments included the time to definitive fixation, the length of hospital stay, the time to bone union, surgical site complications, and reoperation within 12 months. A universal goniometer was used to measure the postoperative 3 m, 6 m, and 12 m ROM.

RESULTS

The patient demographics were similar between the groups (p > 0.05). Group 2 displayed significantly a shorter time to definitive fixation (5.94 ± 2.02 vs. 0.61 ± 0.28, p < 0.0001) and hospital stay (14.90 ± 8/78 vs. 10.30 ± 6.78, p = 0.0016). No significant difference was observed in the time to bone union, surgical site complication incidence, and reoperation rates (p > 0.05). Flexion and flexion-extension knee ROM were demonstrated to be significantly improved in Group 2, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, early ORIF and ciNPT use resulted in a shorter hospital length of stay, a reduced time to early active motion of the knee, and improved knee ROM. These results suggest that early ORIF with ciNPT for Schatzker type IV-VI TPFs is safe and effective in some patients. However, further research to confirm these findings across larger and more diverse populations is needed.

Comparison of AO, Schatzker, and three-column classification systems in tibial plateau fractures: Impact on functional outcomes

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to compare the AO, Schatzker, and Three-Column classification systems for tibial plateau fractures, focusing on their prognostic and functional outcome prediction and influence on clinical decisions across different trauma types.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this retrospective study, we examined 49 patients (36 males, 11 females; mean age: 40.6±11.8 years; range, 19 to 67 years) with tibial plateau fractures between January 2011 and January 2017. The fractures were classified using the AO, Schatzker, and three-column systems. The main outcome measurements included functional scores (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS], Hospital for Special Surgery [HSS]), range of motion (ROM), duration of hospitalization, thigh atrophy, operation time, and the development of osteoarthritis. The impact of smoking was also assessed.

RESULTS

According to the AO classification, type B fractures obtained higher KOOS and HSS scores compared to type C fractures (p=0.013 and p=0.007, respectively). According to the Schatzker classification low-energy fractures achieved higher KOOS and HSS scores than high-energy fractures (p=0.013 and p=0.026, respectively). One-column fractures had higher KOOS and HSS scores compared to two-column and three-column fractures (p=0.007 and p=0.001, respectively). Two-column fractures had a lower ROM compared to other column fractures (p=0.022). Shorter hospital stays were recorded for Schatzker low-energy fractures (p=0.016), whereas higher thigh atrophy was found in Schatzker high-energy fractures (p=0.022) and AO type C fractures (p=0.018). Longer operation times were observed in AO type C fractures (p=0.037) and Schatzker high-energy fractures (p=0.017). According to the Kellgren-Lawrence classification, AO type C fractures and three-column fractures yielded worse outcomes (p=0.039 and p=0.001, respectively). Smoking had a negative impact on functional KOOS and HSS scores across all groups (p=0.022 and p=0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the predictive value of the AO, Schatzker, and Three-Column classification systems in determining functional outcomes and clinical data in tibial plateau fractures. Each system provides unique insights into different outcomes, suggesting their concurrent application may yield a more comprehensive prognosis.