Cuboid reduction and fixation using a kyphoplasty balloon: a case report

Outcomes following balloon tibioplasty versus conventional osteosynthesis techniques for Schatzker type III tibial plateau fractures: a systematic review

Introduction

Schatzker type III fractures of the tibial plateau require elevation of the depressed portions to regain articular congruity. Balloon tibioplasty has been used as an alternative to conventional metal instruments for elevation of the lateral tibial plateau. This study compared functional outcomes following balloon tibioplasty or conventional osteosynthesis techniques in patients with type III fractures of the tibial plateau.

Materials and methods

A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library to identify studies published through March 29, 2021, pertaining to balloon tibioplasty or conventional osteosynthesis techniques for type III fractures. Non-human studies, opinion or editorial pieces, systematic reviews, case series (< 5 patients), and articles published in a non-English language were excluded. Primary outcomes were Rasmussen clinical score, range of motion, and Knee Society Score (KSS). A Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) risk of bias assessment was performed for all studies.

Results

A total of 95 studies were identified, with 10 studies (and 132 total patients) meeting inclusion criteria: 1 study focused on balloon tibioplasty, 8 studies reported outcomes following conventional osteosynthesis, and 1 study compared outcomes of the two techniques. Mean follow-up times varied widely, from 4 to 76.3 months. Where reported, balloon tibioplasty resulted in good to excellent functional outcomes as indicated by Rasmussen clinical scores (mean 28.3 in a case series; mean 28.9 in a randomized controlled trial) and range of motion (≥ 140° in both studies) 1–2 years following surgery. KSS was not reported consistently enough for comparison. Studies ranged from low to high risk of bias according to the JBI assessment.

Conclusions

Balloon tibioplasty can lead to excellent functional outcomes in patients with depression fractures of the lateral tibial plateau. More research is needed to directly compare outcomes following treatment with balloon tibioplasty or conventional osteosynthesis techniques.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13018-022-02973-1.

Balloon tibioplasty for tibial plateau fractures

BACKGROUND

Tibial plateau fractures are complex intra-articular injuries. The aim of treatment is to restore joint congruity and alignment. Balloon tibioplasty is a novel, minimally invasive technique to reduce the fracture and restore the continuity of the articular surface. A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines in order to assess the outcomes from this procedure.

SOURCES OF DATA

The online databases of Pubmed, Google scholar, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE and CINAHL were searched. Articles of interest were retrieved and evaluated, including case series, randomised controlled trials and cadaver studies.

AREAS OF AGREEMENT

Eight studies (one randomised controlled trial, four case series and three cadaver studies) were included in the final review. The studies demonstrated adequate fracture reduction with favourable clinical and imaging outcomes from balloon tibioplasty. Very few complications were described.

AREAS OF CONTROVERSY

There is a small volume of literature currently available on balloon tibioplasty with an overall low level of evidence. The overall number of reported cases is also small.

GROWING POINTS

Further research is necessary, with adequately powered randomised controlled trials. Further areas of research include type of bone substitute and the use of arthroscopically assisted surgery.

Arthroscopic-Guided Balloon Tibioplasty in Schatzker III Tibial Plateau Fracture

Purpose  The study aims to present the results at a mean 28-months follow-up of arthroscopic-guided balloon tibioplasty and to spot some technical tricks and some practice using tools and materials.

Methods  The study relates to six patients with tibial plateau fractures type Schatzker III with tibial plateau depression more than 4 mm at preoperative computed tomography scan (CT-scan). The follow-up period ranged from 22 to 33 months, with a mean of 28 months. No patients were lost to follow-up. The patients were evaluated clinically using the Rasmussen score system and Lysholm score systems at 6 to 12 and 24 months, postoperatively. Radiographic evaluations (standard X-rays) were done preoperatively at 1, 3, and 12 months postoperatively while a CT-scan with 3D reconstruction was performed preoperatively, at the first day and 6 months, postoperatively.

Results  The mean Rasmussen clinical score at 6 months postoperatively was 26.3 while at 1-year postoperatively the mean Rasmussen clinical score was 28.33. At 2-year postoperatively the mean Rasmussen clinical score was 28.83. Statistically significant difference was found in 6-months and 2-years results ( p  < 0.05). CT-scan achieved the first postoperative day showed the recovery of approximately 70% of the area of the interested tibial plateau, restoring of the joint surface without articular bone free fragments.

Conclusion  The described surgical procedure, if correctly performed with proper indications (Schatzker III), respect the principles mentioned above and the clinical and radiological results confirm our purpose.

Level of Evidence  This is a therapeutic case series, level IV study.

Balloon-assisted reduction, pin fixation and tricalcium phosphate augmentation for calcaneal fracture: A retrospective analysis of 42 patients

INTRODUCTION

The treatment of intra-articular calcaneal fractures is still complex and controversial. Although open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is favored by many authors, several percutaneous techniques have been introduced to reduce complications and to obtain satisfactory clinical and radiological results. Among these percutaneous treatments, balloon reduction and bone graft augmentation is gaining an increasing popularity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively examined a series of 42 patients treated operatively with a minimally invasive reduction technique using an inflatable bone tamp filled with tricalcium phosphate (calcaneoplasty) for Sander's type II, III and IV calcaneal fractures between 2010 and 2015. Conventional X-rays and CT scan were performed pre-operatively, at 3 and 12 months post-operatively and at the last-follow-up. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score and the Maryland Foot Score (MFS) were used for clinical evaluation. Bohler's angle and the Score Analysis of Verona (SAVE) were calculated to assess bone reduction.

RESULTS

All 42 patients were available for clinical and radiographic follow-up at an average of 665 months (range 38-92). At the last follow-up the mean AOFAS score was 82.1 (good) and the mean MFS was 80.8 (good). The mean Bohler's angle improved from 1.29° pre-operatively to 27.8° at the last follow-up. The SAVE highlighted good and excellent results in 30 (72%) patients. There were only 3 (7.1%) cases of superficial skin infection with only 6 (14.2%) patients complaining of residual pain. No cases of adverse reaction or deep infection were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Calcaneoplasty appears to be a valid option of treatment for calcaneal fractures and a reliable alternative to ORIF. This technique allows stable fracture reduction and early weight-bearing combined with good clinical and radiological results and few complications.

[Minimally invasive balloon-assisted reduction and internal fixation of tibial plateau fractures]

The management of tibial plateau fractures can be challenging because of the scarcity of soft tissue associated with a high rate of wound healing disorders. Classic open reduction and internal plate fixation require extensive soft tissue dissection and periosteal stripping, and elevation of depressed fragments and maintenance of the reduction is difficult. In the current report the authors describe a novel operative approach to percutaneously reduce depressed tibial plateau fractures using an inflatable balloon in combination with minimally invasive plate fixation. The results of the first 5 cases treated with this technique are reported.

Percutaneous inflation osteoplasty for indirect reduction of depressed tibial plateau fractures

Anatomic reduction of articular depression tibial plateau fractures is challenging. The authors describe a new technique using percutaneous balloon-guided inflation osteoplasty for a depressed lateral tibial plateau fracture. The fluoroscopy-guided inflation osteoplasty restores the joint surface anatomically in a minimally invasive fashion. The metaphyseal void is filled with a fast-setting fluid-phase bone substitute, and a lateral buttress plate is applied with less invasive incisions. This technique is a valid alternative for indirect reduction of depressed articular tibial plateau fractures.

Balloon tibioplasty: a useful tool for reduction of tibial plateau depression fractures

Reduction of the articular surface in displaced tibial plateau fractures is still challenging and may result in joint incongruence, leading to posttraumatic arthrosis. Conventional techniques use bone tamps and similar instruments, which can increase the surgical trauma due to their size. "Balloon tibioplasty" is a novel minimally invasive technique for the reduction of depressed tibial plateau fractures. We successfully applied an inflatable balloon, commercially available from kyphoplasty, to elevate the depressed articular fragments. This technique allowed for reduction of the depressed tibial plateau fragment without classic fenestration of the tibia, thereby minimizing surgical trauma. Furthermore, under fluoroscopic control, optimal centering of the expanding tibioplasty balloon allows a widespread and continuously increasing reduction force to the fracture area. After fluoroscopy or arthroscopic confirmation of reduction of the articular surface, the cavity resulting from tibioplasty was filled with ceramic bone cement through small incisions and fractures were fixed with a small fragment locking T-plate (3.5 mm). Balloon tibioplasty was applied in 5 patients with displaced tibial plateau fractures (OTA type B2/3). No intra- or postoperative complications were observed. This new technique may be a useful tool to facilitate the reduction of select depressed tibial fractures in the future.

Balloon osteoplasty--a new technique for reduction and stabilisation of impression fractures in the tibial plateau: a cadaver study and first clinical application

PURPOSE

Fractures of the tibial plateau are among the most severe injuries of the knee joint and lead to advanced gonarthrosis if the reduction does not restore perfect joint congruency. Many different reduction techniques focusing on open surgical procedures have been described in the past. In this context we would like to introduce a novel technique which was first tested in a cadaver setup and has undergone its successful first clinical application.

METHODS

Since kyphoplasty demonstrated effective ways of anatomical correction in spine fractures, we adapted the inflatable instruments and used the balloon technique to reduce depressed fragments of the tibial plateau.

RESULTS

The technique enabled us to restore a congruent cartilage surface and bone reduction.

CONCLUSIONS

In this technique we see a useful new method to reduce depressed fractures of the tibial plateau with the advantages of low collateral damage as it is known from minimally invasive procedures.

Inflation osteoplasty: in vitro evaluation of a new technique for reducing depressed intra-articular fractures of the tibial plateau and distal radius

Background

Anatomic reduction of intra-articular fractures of the tibial plateau and distal radius can be difficult to achieve. Treatment goals are centered on restoring the native anatomy and articular congruency. Several surgeons in the USA have begun using an inflatable bone tamp to reduce these fracture patterns. The concept is built on the success of the tamp in kyphoplasty of the spine, but it has yet to be tested in the lab for use in the extremities. We performed an investigation into the safety and efficacy of using an inflatable bone tamp for intra-articular fracture reduction of the tibial plateau and distal radius.

Materials and methods

Paired cadaveric specimens were obtained for a total of six proximal tibias and six distal radii. Intra-articular depression-type fractures were created in all specimens. The inflatable bone tamp was then used to reduce the depression. For comparison, the tibias were fractured on the medial and lateral side and a conventional metal tamp was used on the contralateral side of the balloon. Fine-cut micro-computed tomography (CT) scans were performed on all intact specimens, which were then fractured, and again after fracture reduction. CT data was used to measure the amount of restoration of the normal anatomy and to compare the effectiveness of the balloon to conventional methods.

Results

The inflatable bone tamp was equivalent to conventional methods in large, minimally displaced fracture fragments and proved superior when comminution was present at the articular surface. No instances of overreduction or penetration into the joint were encountered with the balloon, whereas this was a common occurrence with conventional metal tamps. The inflatable tamp was successful in reducing all distal radius fractures without complication.

Conclusion

Anatomic reduction of impacted articular fractures should be the goal of any treating surgeon. In our cadaveric models, we have shown the inflatable bone tamp to be safe and effective in reducing depressed articular fractures around the tibial plateau and distal radius. The balloon offers the advantage of being minimally invasive and creating a symmetric, contained defect to hold bone filler for subchondral support.

Balloon reduction of displaced calcaneus fractures: surgical technique and case series

Level of Evidence: V, Expert Opinion