BACKGROUND:Tibial plateau fractures involving the posterolateral articular surface present a great challenge due to its complex anatomy.The posterolateral corner complex and the proximity of the common peroneal nerve restrict both the exposure of the joint surface and the ability to distract across the joint using a varus force.OBJECTIVE:To analyze the anatomy,morphology and classifications of the posterolateral fractures of the tibial plateau,and compare different surgical approaches and fixation materials.METHODS:A computer-based research of PubMed and CNKI databases was performed for the relative literatures published from 1990 to 2016 using the keywords of tibial plateau,posterolateral fragment,fixation in English and Chinese,respectively.The anatomy,morphology and typing of posterolateral fractures of the tibial plateau were analyzed and different surgical approaches and fixation materials were compared.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Posterolateral fractures of the tibial plateau should be treated in accordance with the intra-articular fracture principle,such as repairing joint surface to normal morphology,restoring the lower limb alignment,and maintaining joint mobility painlessly.Fractures are clarified according to Schatzker,AO,and three-column classification systems,but still need to be improved.To choose a proper surgical approach mainly depends on the fracture pattern.Biomechanics tests suggest that posterolateral locked plate exhibits excellent biomechanics characters,and can avoid the reduction loss caused by the shear force of fracture fragments.