Risk factors of traumatic arthritis after tibial plateau fractures surgery

Abstract

Objective To observe the risk factors of traumatic arthritis after tibial plateau fractures surgery. Methods Seventy-eight patients with tibial plateau fractures admitted in Chinese People’s Liberation Army 159 Hospital from October 2012 to October 2017 were divided into two groups, according to randomized parallel control method, for retrospective analysis. All patients were treated by open reduction and internal fixation, and the general data and pathological data were collected from all enrolled patients. Patients were divided into traumatic arthritis group and non-traumatic arthritis group according to whether having traumatic arthritis or not; the independent factors of the incidence of traumatic arthritis after tibial plateau fracture were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Results Seventy-eight cases of tibial plateau fractures were followed up for 6 months to 5 years, 30 patients had traumatic arthritis, the incidence rate was 38.46%.The results of single factor analysis showed that the incidence of postoperative traumatic arthritis was not related to sex, age, smoking, operation to weight loss, type of steel plate, injury of collateral ligaments, amalgamative ligament injury, or whether internal fixation was removed (P>0.05). There was a significant correlation between injury to operation time, fracture mode, fracture classification, bone quality, combined meniscus injury and postoperative Rasmussen anatomical score and development of postoperative traumatic arthritis(P<0.05). Multiple factor Logistic regression analysis showed that injury to operation time, fracture mode, fracture type, bone quality, and postoperative Rasmussen anatomical score were independent factors of secondary traumatic arthritis in patients with tibial plateau fractures (P<0.05). Conclusions It is easy to develop traumatic arthritis after tibial plateau fracture, and the time from injury to operation, fracture mode, fracture type, bone quality and Rasmussen anatomy score are independent risk factors, which should be given attention in clinical. Key words: Tibial plateau fractures; Open reduction and internal fixation; Traumatic arthritis; Risk factors