• BACKGROUND
    • The universal accepted strategy for treating high-energy tibial plateau fractures remains a topic of ongoing debate. The challenge for the practicing orthopaedic trauma surgeon is to provide anatomical articular fracture reduction, with successfully managing the complex soft-tissue injury that is commonly present at patient admission. The primary aim of the actual study was to evaluate the results of a staged protocol for the treatment of high-energy bicondylar tibial plateau fractures. The secondary aim was to describe the technique used for the definitive fixation of this complex fracture pattern.
  • METHODS
    • Thirty patients with unstable high-energy closed bicondylar tibial plateau fractures (17 Schatzker V and 13 Schatzker VI) were managed. There were 24 men (80%) and six women (20%). All of them were skeletally mature with their age ranging from 19 to 67 years (mean of 33.1±3.4 years). Treatment involved a two-stage procedure with appropriate emergency care, preoperative planning, and definitive fixation. Initial treatment, named 'damage control on complex articular fracture elements', consisted on temporary bridging external fixation. Definitive treatment was delayed in a mean of 10 days (ranging from seven to 13 days) and was performed when the soft-tissue conditioning demonstrated either complete or almost complete remission of the inflammatory reaction due to the 'first hit'. Conventional implants were used in the 30 patients. All patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically.
  • RESULTS
    • Twenty-six (86.7%) patients had a moderate level of activity, three (10%) patients had a very light level of activity, and one (3.3%) patient was unable to have any kind of work activity and is currently supported by the Brazilian Welfare. Using the visual analog scale mean pain score was 30 (ranging from 10 to 60); even the patient with the workers' compensation had no severe pain. All patients except three have no difficulty with stairs, giving way, locking, swelling, and squatting, but were unable to run. Three (10%) patients had problems with stairs and could not bend the operated knee more than 90°. One of them had a varus knee but no instability. Ninety percent of the patients were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their outcome. The three dissatisfied patients suffered postoperative complications, most commonly wound infections. Four (13.4%) patients with former anatomical reduction had a residual articular step-off or diastasis of less than 3mm after fracture healing. All patients had no or mild arthrosis at the time of the last outpatient consultation.
  • CONCLUSIONS
    • The two-staged procedure presented herein showed to be an effective strategy for managing bycondilar tibial plateau fractures. The protocol used for these complex traumatic injuries follows very well defined steps, which means acute stabilization with a linear bridging external fixation, adequate soft tissue handling, preoperative planning, and definitive surgical fixation after seven to 14 days. The model presents a more biological approach to optimizing functional outcome with an acceptable complication rate and minimal risk of loss of reduction in these high-energy tibial plateau fractures.