Comparison of Cannulated Lag Screws and Lateral locking Plate in the Treatment of Schatzker Type II Tibial Plateau Fractures

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to compare the clinical andradiological outcomes of the two fixation methods frequently usedin the treatment of Schatzker type II fractures: lag screw fixationand lateral anatomic plate fixation.Patients and methods: This retrospective study, which wasconducted between January 2005 and December 2014, included61 patients (41 males, 20 females; mean age 43.4±13.1 years;range, 20 to 76 years) with Schatzker type II (Orthopaedic TraumaAssociation (OTA)/Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen(AO) 41-B3) fractures. Patients were divided into two groupsaccording to the type of surgery as cannulated lag screw fixationgroup (group 1, n=24, 39.4%) and lateral locking plate fixationgroup (group 2, n=37, 60.6%). Intraoperative mediolateral andanteroposterior instability were measured. Final knee flexionextention range of motion (ROM), single-leg hop test, KneeSociety Score (KSS), Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and shortform 36 (SF36) scores were obtained at the last follow-up.Results: The mean age of patients was 42.1±13.8 years in group2 and 45.5±12.2 years in group 1. The mean follow-up period was34±4 months. Minimal or no arthritis was detected in 75% (n=18) ofpatients in group 1 and 78% (n=29) of patients in group 2 (p=0.27).Single leg-hop test results (p=0.55), final follow-up knee ROM(p=0.40), KSS (p=0.21), HSS (p=0.15), and SF36 scores of group 1were similar to group 2. In group 1, the duration of surgery wasshorter (p