A new multicenter investigation by Assink et al. in JBJS explores the association between radiographic measurements and the risk of conversion to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients treated surgically for tibial plateau fractures.
Access the full study and the downloadable infographic at JBJS.org:
From the study:
“We hypothesized that initial fracture displacement, quality of reduction, and postoperative tibial alignment are predictors of conversion to TKA. The aim of this study was to answer the following research questions: (1) What is the association between the preoperative fracture displacement, in terms of gap and step-off as measured on CT scans, and the risk of conversion to TKA at the time of follow-up? (2) What is the association between the postoperative fracture reduction and knee alignment, as measured on radiographs, and the risk of conversion to TKA at the time of follow-up?”
Additional perspective on this study is provided in a commentary article by Gregory J. Schmeling, MD: Fourteen Percent of Complex Tibial Plateau Fractures Need a TKA
For more knee-related content, including videos of procedures, video abstracts, and infographics, go to JBJS Media on JBJS.org.
These results make sense and are consistent with my experience