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. 2023 Jul;33(5):1841-1847.
doi: 10.1007/s00590-022-03355-3. Epub 2022 Aug 19.

Do number and location of plates impact infection rates after definitive fixation of high energy tibial plateau fractures?

Tyler James Moon  1 , Lucas Haase  2 , Douglas Haase  3 , George Ochenjele  2 , Brent Wise  3 , Joshua Napora  2
Affiliations

Do number and location of plates impact infection rates after definitive fixation of high energy tibial plateau fractures?

Tyler James Moon et al. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. 2023 Jul.

Abstract

Purpose: Surgical trauma may confer additional infectious risk after operative fixation for high energy tibial plateau fractures. This study aims to determine the impact of plate number and location on infection rates after these injuries.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study completed at two level one trauma centers included patients who underwent staged fixation for a tibial plateau fracture between 2015 and 2019. Plate number and location (lateral, medial, posteromedial, and anterior quadrants) used in the definitive fixation construct were collected from post-operative radiographs. Deep infection rate was primary the outcome.

Results: A total of 244 patients met inclusion criteria. The overall infection rate was 13.9% (34/244). Infection rates increased with each additional quadrant utilized (8.0% one quadrant, 13.0% two quadrants, 27.3% three quadrants, 100% four quadrants; p < 0.001), independent of plate number, fracture severity, operative time, number of incisions, external fixator pin and plate construct overlap, and days in the external fixator on multivariate analysis.

Conclusions: Infection risk increases with each quadrant utilized in the fixation of high energy tibial plateau fractures. Providers should attempt to limit the dissection of soft tissue for hardware placement in the fixation of these injuries to limit infection risk.

Level of evidence: Level III, retrospective therapeutic study.

Keywords: Post-operative infection; Staged internal fixation; Tibial plateau fracture.

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