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. 2022 Oct;48(5):3643-3650.
doi: 10.1007/s00068-020-01525-8. Epub 2020 Oct 23.

Tibial plateau fractures in Belgium: epidemiology, financial burden and costs curbing strategies

Michiel Herteleer #  1   2 , Celien Van Brandt #  3 , Cindy Vandoren  4 , Stefaan Nijs  2   3 , Harm Hoekstra  5   6
Affiliations

Tibial plateau fractures in Belgium: epidemiology, financial burden and costs curbing strategies

Michiel Herteleer et al. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2022 Oct.

Abstract

Purpose: We describe the incidence of tibial plateau fractures and the evolution of its management and financial burden in Belgium, perform a similar audit at University Hospitals Leuven, and define strategies to curb the increasing cost.

Methods: National data on tibial plateau fractures were collected from the NIHDI and compared to our performance. Several clinical parameters, such as age, sex, treatment modality and length-of-stay, were included. The total healthcare costs are considered as the sum of hospitalization costs and ambulatory care costs.

Results: Between 2006 and 2018, a total number of 35,226 tibial plateau fractures were diagnosed in Belgium and 861 at our center. The incidence increased 41% over time (mean 25/100,000 persons per year). The mean rate of surgery in Belgium was 37% and slightly decreased over time, due to a larger increase of non-operatively treated tibial plateau fractures. The rate of surgery at the UHL was 49%. Surprisingly, the average cost per patient was equal for operatively and non-operatively treated patients in Belgium, and driven by the length-of stay.

Conclusion: Since length-of-stay is the main driver of the total healthcare costs of tibial plateau fractures, guidelines on appropriate length-of-stay can help to decrease variability and curb the total healthcare costs, particularly of the non-operatively treated patients. Our performance was in line with this.

Level of evidence: Level IV.

Keywords: Economic burden; Knee; Length-of-stay; Tibial plateau fracture.

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