Will the Articular Surface Collapse After the Fixation of a Tibial Plateau Fracture?

Fourteen (35%) patients assessed experienced postoperative articular surface collapse during the follow-up evaluation. A statistically significant association was found between postoperative articular surface collapse and the following variables: age, preoperative articular surface fragmentation, use of bone graft, smoking, and early weight-bearing. Collapse correlated strongly with clinical outcomes, including significant knee pain (p<0.001) and reduced walking capacity. The presence of collapse also adversely affected the radiographic scores at follow-up (p < 0.001).