What is the impact of the fracture location on patient-reported functional outcomes in patients with lateral tibial plateau fractures?

Surgeons should be aware during management of lateral tibial plateau fractures that all regions of the plateau-anterior, medial, lateral, and posterior-are crucial in preserving function. Fractures involving the entire lateral plateau (pattern 5) and isolated lateral segments (pattern 7) result in worse functional outcomes, likely due to the severity of the injury and associated soft tissue involvement, especially in the meniscal area. Greater fracture extent, as indicated by increased segment involvement, correlates with worse patient-reported outcomes.