Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of unilateral tibial plateau fractures among hospitalized adult patients in Xijing Hospital, to evaluate the accuracy of Schatzker classification system and AO/OTA classification system to tibial plateau fractures. We retrospectively analysed clinical data on 274 patients admitted to Xijing Hospital between September 2006 and August 2015. The patients’ demographic characteristics, admission periods and seasons, external causes and fracture types were recorded and summarized. Then the characteristics of tibial plateau fractures and the accuracy rate of these two classification systems were analysed. Schatzker type II fractures and AO/OTA type 41-B3 fractures were the most common types. The external causes differed between genders, types of employment, urban-rural residents and both two systems. In addition, some fractures were difficult to classify using Schatzker or AO/OTA classification system. Rural male physical labourers aged between 30–59 years-old were most likely to suffer from unilateral tibial plateau fractures, due to traffic accidents, falls and indoor activity injuries, or falls from height. We should pay more attention to the related people and professions, which contributed to the high occurrence of tibial plateau fractures. Besides that, further improvements are required for both Schatzker and AO/OTA classification systems.
Highlights
As for the lesion side, research by Albuquerque et al.[5] showed right tibial plateau fractures accounted for 46.4% and left tibial plateau fractures accounted for 53.6% of cases in Brazil
To the best of our knowledge, epidemiological studies of tibial plateau fractures related to the nature of employment and urban-rural differences have not yet been performed, and the epidemiological characteristics of tibial plateau fractures with respect to the Schatzker classification system[8] and AO/OTA classification system[9] have not yet been systematically investigated[3,4,5,6]
As it is known to all, a number of tibial plateau fractures can be difficult to classify using either the Schatzker classification system or AO/OTA classification system, including horizontal shear of the entire plateau fractures[12]; subcondylar and bicondylar with coronal split fractures[13]; posterior, posteromedial and medial plateau shear-type fractures[14]; and tibial plateau fractures with cortical avulsion off the lateral rim or medial rim[15,16]
Summary
As it is known to all, a number of tibial plateau fractures can be difficult to classify using either the Schatzker classification system or AO/OTA classification system, including horizontal shear of the entire plateau fractures[12]; subcondylar and bicondylar with coronal split fractures[13]; posterior, posteromedial and medial plateau shear-type fractures[14]; and tibial plateau fractures with cortical avulsion off the lateral rim or medial rim[15,16] These types of fractures have been reported in the literature[4,5,6,14,17], specific data was not provided.
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