Complications associated with hyperextension bicondylar tibial plateau fractures: a retrospective study

Background Hyperextension bicondylar tibial plateau fracture (HBTPF) is a particular form of tibial plateau fracture which has gained increasing interest recently but were rarely documented. In this study, we reported the characteristics, clinical intervention, and therapeutic outcomes of HBTPF patients. Methods From May 2015 to October 2017, clinical data of consecutive patients with bicondylar tibial plateau fractures (BTPF) who underwent surgical treatment in our hospital were retrospectively studied. The patients were allocated to either the HBTPF group (study group) or the non-HBTPF group (control group) based on the radiological features, and inclusion and exclusion criteria. Demographics, characteristics of knee joint injuries, complications, and outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results In total, 59 patients were included in this study. Among them, 17 patients with HBTPF were identified and 42 patients were diagnosed as non-HBTPF. No differences in age, sex, cause of injury, side of injury, site of injury, nerve injury, operation time, and treatment time and incision complication between HBTPF and non-HBTPF group. The incidence rate of popliteal artery injury in HBTPF group was 29.4 %, which was significantly higher than that of non-HBTPF group. Small bone chips on the lateral film were found in 94.1 % of the patients in HBTPF group, which was significantly higher than that of non-HBTPF group. The range of motion (ROM) and hospital for special surgery (HSS) score of HBTPF group were significantly lower than those of non-HBTPF group. Conclusions HBTPF is a severe injury with a higher incidence rate of popliteal artery injury and worse outcomes than non-HBTPF. Small bone chips at the anterior margin of the proximal tibia on the lateral plain film might be a characteristic of HBTPF. Keywords: Hyperextension bicondylar tibial plateau fracture, Ligament injury, Popliteal artery, Bone fragment, Hospital for special surgery