OBJECTIVE: To review and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of minimally invasive treatment techniques for tibial plateau fractures (TPFs), as well as the research progress and limitations. METHODS: The relevant domestic and international research literature on the minimally invasive treatment of TPFs in recent years was reviewed. The advantages, disadvantages, and clinical efficacy of various technologies were summarized and analyzed, and an outlook on future development trends was provided. RESULTS: Surgery remains the primary method for treating displaced TPFs. Although traditional open reduction and internal fixation has advantages such as direct reduction and simplicity of procedure, it has gradually fallen out of favor with clinical orthopedic doctors due to extensive soft tissue removal, excessive bleeding, tissue adhesion, and postoperative complications such as skin infection, fracture nonunion, and joint dysfunction. As medical technology continues to develop, minimally invasive surgery and precise diagnosis and treatment are gradually being introduced to orthopedic trauma. Guided by concepts such as "minimally invasive treatment", "homeopathic repositioning of fractures", and "internal compression fixation", many traction reduction devices, internal fixation devices, minimally invasive reduction techniques, and computer-aided navigation technologies have been widely used in the clinical treatment of TPFs. This has greatly helped to overcome the challenges of intraoperative reduction, secondary reduction loss, and postoperative functional impairment and effectively promoting the adoption of minimally invasive treatment techniques in the clinical treatment of TPFs. CONCLUSION Minimally invasive treatment techniques have made significant progress in the clinical treatment of TPFs, particularly with regard to the reduction, and have demonstrated unique advantages. While relevant research results have received international recognition, there is still a need for orthopedic scholars to conduct real-world research to further explore the underlying principles and mechanisms of action.
Humans ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/instrumentation* ; Tibial Fractures/surgery* ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Tibial Plateau Fractures

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of minimally invasive treatment for bilateral tibial plateau fractures using the double reverse traction reducer. METHODS: The clinical data of 4 patients with bilateral tibial plateau fractures who met the selection criteria and treated between January 2016 and April 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. The cohort included 3 males and 1 female, aged 30-65 years (mean, 52.5 years). Injury mechanisms comprised traffic accidents (2 cases) and falls (2 cases). According to the Schatzker classification, 2 limbs were type Ⅱ and 6 were type Ⅵ. The time from injury to surgery ranged from 5 to 9 days (mean, 7 days). All patients underwent minimally invasive reduction using the double reverse traction reducer. Surgical duration, intraoperative blood loss, and hospitalization time were recorded. Functional outcomes were assessed at last follow-up using the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score and range of motion (ROM), while fracture reduction quality was evaluated using the Rasmussen radiological score. RESULTS: All 4 patients successfully completed the procedure without conversion to open reduction. The total mean operation time was 80.25 minutes (range, 73-86 minutes), with a mean total intraoperative blood loss of 132.5 mL (range, 100-150 mL). The mean hospitalization time was 13.5 days (range, 11-16 days). All incisions healed primarily without neurovascular complications. X-ray film at 1 day after operation confirmed satisfactory reduction and articular surface alignment. Follow-up time ranged from 12 to 26 months (mean, 17.0 months). Fractures achieved clinical union at an average of 13 weeks (range, 12-16 weeks). No complication, such as deep vein thrombosis, joint stiffness, post-traumatic arthritis, or implant failure, was observed. At last follow-up, the mean HSS score was 92.9 (range, 90-97), mean knee ROM was 128.1° (range, 115°-135°), and mean Rasmussen radiological score was 16.4 (range, 15-19), with 2 limbs rated as excellent and 6 as good. CONCLUSION The double reverse traction reducer facilitates minimally invasive treatment of bilateral tibial plateau fractures with advantages including minimal trauma, shorter surgical duration, precise reduction, and fewer complications, effectively promoting fracture healing and functional recovery of the knee joint.
Humans ; Tibial Fractures/diagnostic imaging* ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/instrumentation* ; Female ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Traction/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Operative Time ; Tibial Plateau Fractures

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the biomechanical characteristics of Schatzker type Ⅱ tibial plateau fracture fixed by different bone grafting methods and internal fixations. METHODS: Twenty-four embalmed specimens of adult knee joint were selected to make Schatzker type Ⅱ tibial plateau fracture models, which were randomly divided into 8 groups (groups A1-D1 and groups A2-D2, n=3). After all the fracture models were restored, non-structural iliac crest bone grafts were implanted in group A1-D1, and structural iliac crest bone grafts in groups A2-D2. Following bone grafting, group A was fixed with a lateral golf locking plate, group B was fixed with lateral golf locking plate combined compression bolt, group C was fixed with lateral tibial "L"-shaped locking plate, and group D was fixed with lateral tibial "L"-shaped locking plate combined compression bolt. Compression and cyclic loading tests were performed on a biomechanical testing machine. A distal femur specimen or a 4-cm-diameter homemade bone cement ball were used as a pressure application mould for each group of models. The specimens were loaded with local compression at a rate of 10 N/s and the mechanical loads were recorded when the vertical displacement of the split bone block reached 2 mm. Then, compressive and cyclic loading tests were conducted on the fixed models of each group. The specimens were compression loaded to 100, 400, 700, and 1 000 N at a speed of 10 N/s to record the vertical displacement of the split bone block. The specimens were also subjected to cyclic loading at 5 Hz and 10 N/s within the ranges 100-300, 100-500, 100-700, and 100-1 000 N to record the vertical displacement of the split bone block at the end of the entire cyclic loading test. The specimens were subjected to cyclic loading tests and the vertical displacement of the split bone block was recorded at the end of the test. RESULTS: When the vertical displacement of the collapsed bone block reached 2 mm, the mechanical load of groups A2-D2 was significantly greater than that of groups A1-D1 ( P<0.05). The mechanical load of groups B and D was significantly greater than that of group A under the two bone grafting methods ( P<0.05); the local mechanical load of group D was significantly greater than that of groups B and C under the structural iliac crest bone grafts ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference ( P>0.05) in the vertical displacement of the split bone blocks between the two bone graft methods when the compressive load was 100, 400, 700 N and the cyclic load was 100-300, 100-500, 100-700 N in groups A-D. However, the vertical displacement of bone block in groups A1-D1 was significantly greater than that in groups A2-D2 ( P<0.05) when the compressive loading was 1 000 N and the cyclic load was 100-1 000 N. The vertical displacement of bone block in group B was significantly smaller than that in group A, and that in group D was significantly smaller than that in group C under the same way of bone graft ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION Compared with non-structural iliac crest bone grafts implantation, structural iliac crest bone grafts is more effective in preventing secondary collapse of Schatzker type Ⅱ tibial plateau fracture, and locking plate combined with compression bolt fixation can provide better articular surface support and resistance to axial compression, and the lateral tibial "L"-shaped locking plate can better highlight its advantages of "raft" fixation and show better mechanical stability.
Humans ; Bone Transplantation/methods* ; Tibial Fractures/physiopathology* ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Plates ; Ilium/transplantation* ; Adult ; Tibia/surgery* ; Bone Cements ; Knee Joint/surgery* ; Male ; Tibial Plateau Fractures

OBJECTIVE: To review the biomechanical research progress of internal fixation of tibial plateau fracture in recent years and provide a reference for the selection of internal fixation in clinic. METHODS: The literature related to the biomechanical research of internal fixation of tibial plateau fracture at home and abroad was extensively reviewed, and the biomechanical characteristics of the internal fixation mode and position as well as the biomechanical characteristics of different internal fixators, such as screws, plates, and intramedullary nails were summarized and analyzed. RESULTS: Tibial plateau fracture is one of the common types of knee fractures. The conventional surgical treatment for tibial plateau fracture is open or closed reduction and internal fixation, which requires anatomical reduction and strong fixation. Anatomical reduction can restore the normal shape of the knee joint; strong fixation provides good biomechanical stability, so that the patient can have early functional exercise, restore knee mobility as early as possible, and avoid knee stiffness. Different internal fixators have their own biomechanical strengths and characteristics. The screw fixation has the advantage of being minimally invasive, but the fixation strength is limited, and it is mostly applied to Schatzker typeⅠfracture. For Schatzker Ⅰ-Ⅳ fracture, unilateral plate fixation can be used; for Schatzker Ⅴand Ⅵ fracture, bilateral plates fixation can be used to provide stronger fixation strength and avoid the stress concentration. The intramedullary nails fixation has the advantages of less trauma and less influence on the blood flow of the fracture end, but the fixation strength of the medial and lateral plateau is limited; so it is more suitable for tibial plateau fracture that involves only the metaphysis. Choosing the most appropriate internal fixation according to the patient's condition is still a major difficulty in the surgical treatment of tibial plateau fractures. CONCLUSION Each internal fixator has good fixation effect on tibial plateau fracture within the applicable range, and it is an important research direction to improve and innovate the existing internal fixator from various aspects, such as manufacturing process, material, and morphology.
Humans ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Plates ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Tibial Fractures/surgery* ; Tibial Plateau Fractures

Objective:To explore the role of arthroscopic exploration in the treatment of tibial plateau fractures with homeopathic double reverse traction reduction and internal fixation.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 188 patients with tibial plateau fractures treated by homeopathic double reverse traction reduction assisted internal fixation and arthroscopic exploration at the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2019 to December 2021. There were 129 males and 59 females, aged 46.7±11.8 years (range, 14-80 years); 115 cases on the left and 73 cases on the right. Schatzker classification of fractures: 81 cases of type II, 15 cases of type III, 23 cases of type IV, 29 cases of type V, and 40 cases of type VI. The time from injury to surgery was 1-14 days, with an average of 10±5 days. The surgery was performed with double reverse traction assisted reduction, locking bone plate and self-breaking compression bolt fixation. Then, arthroscopy was used to explore the quality of fracture reduction, meniscus and ligament damage, and the corresponding intra-articular lesions were treated, such as partial meniscus resection, complete meniscus resection, or suturing. The Rasmussen score was used to evaluate the quality of fracture reduction after surgery, and the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee joint score was used to evaluate the postoperative function of the knee joint.Results:All patients successfully completed fracture reduction, fixation, and arthroscopic exploration. The average surgical time was 95±21 min (range, 30-120 min); The average intraoperative bleeding volume was 120±58 ml (range, 50-300 ml). All patients were followed up for 10-24 months, with an average of 18±6.5 months. All patients' fractures achieved clinical healing after surgery, with a healing time of 2.5-6.0 months, with an average of 3±2.4 months. Among them, 165 patients (87.8%, 165/188) healed within 3 months after surgery, while the remaining 23 patients healed within 4-6 months after surgery. Arthroscopic exploration revealed that 188 patients had good fracture reduction and a flat articular surface. Among them, 97 cases (51.6%, 97/188) were complicated with meniscus injury, with longitudinal tear (29%, 28/97) being the most common, suture treatment was performed under arthroscopy; the remaining 69 patients underwent partial meniscectomy. All the patient's knee function recovered well at the last follow-up. 29 cases (15.4%, 29/188) were complicated with cruciate ligament injury, none of them underwent primary repair and were fixed with plaster or brace after operation. The Rasmussen score for the final follow-up after surgery was 16.8±2.4 points (range, 6-18 points), with 152 cases being excellent and 36 cases being good, with a 100% excellent and good rate. The HSS knee joint scores were 79.8±9.2 points, 85.1±10.1 points, and 94.9±7.6 points at 3, 6 months after surgery, and at the last follow-up, respectively, with statistically significant differences ( F=52.53, P<0.001). Superficial skin infection occurred in 2 cases after operation, which was cured by regular dressing change and anti-infection treatment with antibiotics. Deep vein thrombosis occurred in 7 cases within 1 week after operation, and low molecular weight heparin anticoagulation therapy was given. Conclusion:After using double reverse traction assisted reduction and internal fixation, arthroscopic examination can not only evaluate the quality of reduction for tibial plateau fractures, but also handle combined meniscus injuries and evaluate the condition of cruciate ligament injuries.

Objective:To investigate the associations of articular depression depth (ADD) and tibial plateau widening (TPW) by pre-operative CT measurement with incidence of lateral meniscal tear in patients with Schatzker type Ⅱ tibial plateau fracture.Methods:Included in this retrospective study were 131 patients who had been admitted to Emergency Center of Trauma, The Third Hospital Affiliated to Hebei Medical University from January 2016 to January 2020 for Schatzker type Ⅱtibial plateau fractures. They were 88 males and 51 females, aged from 18 to 60 years (average, 41.5 years), with 74 right and 57 left sides injured. All patients were treated with closed reduction and internal fixation assisted by bidirectional traction. Arthroscopy was used to detect the status of lateral meniscus immediately after closed reduction and internal fixation of the fracture fragments. Furthermore, patients were divided into 2 groups according to the integrity of lateral meniscus: meniscal tear group ( n=70) and tear-free group ( n=61). The 2 groups were compared in terms of age, gender, body mass index(BMI), injury side, time interval from injury to surgery, TPW and ADD. The receiver operating curve (ROC) was drafted to calculate the cut-off values of TPW and ADD in complication of lateral meniscal tear in patients with Schatzker type Ⅱ tibial plateau fracture. Results:The overall incidence of lateral meniscal tear in this cohort was 53.4% (70/131). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of age, gender, injury side, BMI or time interval from injury to surgery between the 2 groups ( P>0.05); TPW and ADD were significantly higher in the meniscal tear group than in the tear-free group ( P<0.05). To predict lateral meniscal tear in patients with Schatzker type Ⅱtibial plateau fracture, the area under ROC was 0.656 (95% CI: 0.562 to 0.750, P=0.002) for TPW and 0.709 (95% CI: 0.619 to 0.800, P<0.001) for ADD, respectively; the cut-off values of TPW and ADD were 4.3 mm and 6.1 mm. Conclusion:TPW and ADD may be effective predictors for prediction of lateral meniscal tear in patients with Schatzker type Ⅱ tibial plateau fracture.

Objective:To evaluate our self-designed easily-breaking compression bone bolt plus bone plate in the treatment of tibial plateau fracture.Methods:From July 2018 to December 2018, 12 patients with tibial plateau fracture were treated at Emergency Center of Trauma, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University using our self-designed easily-breaking compression bone bolt plus bone plate. They were 8 males and 4 females, aged from 20 to 65 years (average, 45.6 years), with 6 left sides and 6 right sides injured. According to Schatzker classification, there were one case of type I, 3 cases of type Ⅱ, 3 cases of type Ⅲ, 2 cases of type Ⅳ, one case of type Ⅴ and 2 cases of type Ⅵ. The width of tibial plateau was measured and compared before and after operation on X-ray films. Operation time, blood loss and fracture union time were recorded. Loss of reduction and postoperative complications were followed up. Knee function was evaluated at the final follow-up by Rasmussen scoring.Results:For this cohort, operation time averaged 54.6 min, blood loss 25 mL, and fracture union time 17.2 weeks. No nonunion or delayed union was observed. The postoperative width of tibial plateau was (78.9±7.2) mm, significantly narrower than the preoperative value [(87.4±6.1) mm] ( P < 0.05). No loss of reduction or surgical complications occurred postoperation. Deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremity developed in 2 patients but recovered after treatment. The Rasmussen scoring for knee joint function at the final follow-up yielded 9 excellent, 2 good and one poor. Conclusion:In treatment of tibial plateau fractures, our self-designed easily-breaking compression bone bolt plus bone plate can restore width of tibial plateau, compress fracture fragments tightly and allow for early exercise, leading to fine functional recovery of the knee joint.

Objective:To explore the factors related to functional recovery of the knee in patients with tibial plateau fracture complicated with intercondylar ridge fracture.Methods:Included in this retrospective study were 63 patients who had been treated at Emergency Center of Trauma, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January to June 2019 for tibial plateau fracture complicated with intercondylar ridge fracture. They were 43 males and 20 females, aged from 18 to 66 years (average, 43.9 years). According to our comprehensive classification of tibial plateau fractures, there were 27 simple ones (20 cases of type Ⅰ and 7 cases of type Ⅱ) and 36 complicated ones (16 cases of type Ⅲ, 17 cases of type Ⅳ, one of type Ⅴ and 2 cases of type Ⅵ). To screen out major influencing factors, a multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the 12 factors that might affect functional recovery of the knee by the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) scoring: age, gender, occupation, fracture type, way of medical payment, cause of injury, operation method, starting time for rehabilitation, postoperative brace installation, time from injury to operation, length of hospital stay, and presence or absence of a free intercondylar ridge fracture fragment.Results:The 63 patients were followed up for 6.0 to 7.1 months (average, 6.1 months). The HSS knee scores ranged from 45 to 100 points (average, 92.4 points). The HSS knee scores were significantly different between different fracture types ( P<0.05). The HSS scores were significantly higher for the patients without a free intercondylar ridge fracture fragment than for those with ( P<0.05). Multiple linear regression model analysis of the 5 variables with P<0.02 in the single factor analysis (age, fracture type, way of medical payment, hospital stay and presence or absence of a free intercondylar ridge fracture fragment) and HSS scores showed that only fracture type and presence or absence of a free intercondylar ridge fracture fragment had a significant impact on the knee function. Their regression equation was Y=125.591-7.790a-17.277b (Y indicates HSS score, a indicates fracture type and b indicates presence or absence of a free intercondylar ridge fracture fragment). Conclusions:The short-term prognosis for tibial plateau fractures of comprehensive types Ⅰ&Ⅱ (simple ones) may be better than that for tibial plateau fractures of comprehensive types Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ&Ⅵ (complicated ones). For patients with a free intercondylar ridge fracture fragment on their lateral knee X-ray film, effective reduction and fixation is indicated but is not for those without.

Tibial plateau fracture is a common acute trauma of the knee joint. At present, there are many studies on its classification and treatment, and minimally invasive treatment has become a research hotspot and mainstream direction of tibial plateau fracture. We summarized the clinical results of minimally invasive treatment of more than 300 cases of tibial plateau fractures, and proposed the concept of core weight-bearing area on tibial plateau, that is, the core weight-bearing area of the tibial plateau of the knee joint under normal motion statuswhile walking and moderate-intensity running. We performed thinsection CT scanning of the knee joint in a male volunteer for three-dimension finite element modeling.The results showed that during the walking state (the load was twice that of gravity), the core weight-bearing area of the medial and lateral plateaus was 389 mm 2 and 363 mm 2, accounting for 33.2% and 42.9% of tibial plateau, respectively;during the moderate-intensity running state (the load was four times that of gravity), the core weight-bearing area of the medial and lateral plateaus was 418 mm 2 and 406 mm 2, accounting for 35.6% and 48.0%of tibial plateau, respectively. Accordingly, tibial plateau fractures are supposed to be divided into core weight-bearing fracture and non-core weight-bearing fracture, and there are significant differences in the treatment ofthese twokinds of fractures: reduction is more demanding for core weight-bearing fracture,and the fracture involves the core area closely, the anatomical reduction is sought; for non-core weight-bearing area, the reduction requirements can be appropriately low demanded, and even in some cases , for example simple avulsion fracture, marginal fracture, some tibial plateau Hoffa fractures,can be treated conservatively. In summary, during clinical diagnosis and treatmentpractice, orthopedic surgeons should take the core weight-bearing area fracture as the core of diagnosis and treatment, strictly evaluate the extent of fracture involvement, select targeted internal fixation materials, and target to promote more accurate, minimally invasive, and individualized treatment of tibial plateau fractures.

Objectives:To investigate the types of meniscal tears and cruciate ligamentous injuries in patients with tibial plateau fracture(TPF) following arthroscopic examination.Methods:The clinical data of 216 patients with TPF who underwent closed reduction and internal fixation (CRIF) from January 2016 to January 2019 at Trauma Emergency center, the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University were analyzed retrospectively. There were 147 males (147 knees) and 69 females (69 knees),aged 46.3 years (range: 18 to 80 years). All patients underwent closed reduction for the displaced fracture fragment with the use of bidirectional rapid redactor,and minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis. Intra-operative arthroscopic examination was performed to exam the stability of meniscus and the continuity of cruciate ligamentous after CRIF. The percentages and types of meniscal tears and cruciate ligamentous injuries were recorded.Results:The overall percentages of meniscal tears associated with TPFs was 48.6%(105/216). The most common pattern of meniscal tears was longitudinal tears, accounting for 43.8% (46/105), and it occurred most frequently in Schatzker type Ⅱ (58.7%, 27/46). Furthermore, the percentage of meniscal complex tears was 17.1% (18/105), occurring most frequently in Schatzker type Ⅴ (9/18). The overall percentage of cruciate ligamentous injuries associated with TPFs was 17.1% (37/216), and the percentages of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries was 64.9%(24/37), the percentage of posterior cruciate ligament injuries was 35.1%(13/37). Avulsion fracture was the most common pattern in ACL injuries, accounting for 41.7% (13/24), and all occurred in the tibial insertion site.Conclusions:In the present study, the percentages of meniscal tears and ligamentous injuries in TPFs are 48.6% and 17.1%, respectively. The most common types are meniscal longitudinal tears and ACL injury, occurring most frequently in Schatzker type Ⅱ and Ⅳ, respectively. Recognition of concomitant meniscal tears and cruciate ligamentous injuries in TPFs is helpful for trauma physicians to choose the best surgical treatment.