Tibial Plateau Fracture

A tibial plateau fracture occurs at the top of the shin bone, and involves the cartilage surface of the knee joint. Because these fractures occur around the knee joint, they must be treated differently than the tibial shaft fractures.

Tibial plateau fracture may occur in younger individuals when valgus stress (e.g., bumper injury) causes lateral plateau fracture. The injury may be more subtle in the elderly, in whom axial compression can cause fracture.

Causes

This is a fracture to either or both tibial condyles. The most common cause is a fall from a height in which the knee is forced into valgus or varus. Less frequently, this fracture may occur when the knee is struck violently from the side, as for example, when struck by a car bumper - the "bumper fracture."

Signs

• Local tenderness, usually decreased ROM
• Possible varus or valgus laxity

Treatment

Most non-displaced fractures of the tibial plateau can be treated without surgery, but they usually require an extended period (about 3 months) of protection from walking.

Some non-displaced fractures are at risk for displacing (shifting position) in the days and weeks following injury, and therefore these injuries must be closely watched by your orthopedic surgeon. If displacement occurs, surgery may be needed to realign the bone