ABSTRACT
Objective: The aims and objectives of the study are to compare the results of tibial plateau fracture treated by plaster of paris cast and percutaneous screw fixation. Study design: Comparative study. Place and duration of study: Study was carried out at the Orthopaedics Unit-II, Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad / Jamshoro, from January February 2010 to october 2011
Methodology: Between February 2010 to october 2011, 31 men and 9 women aged 20 to 40 years with means 28.25 years underwent plaster of paris and percutaneous screw fixation for schatzkar type I closed tibial plataue fracture in Orthopaedics Unit-II, Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad / Jamshoro. Data was analyzed through SPSS software version 16.0
Results: In both groups 31[77.5%] men and 9[22.5%] women with male: female ratio of 3.4:1 and aged 20 to 40 years with means 28.25 years. Union time range 10 to 24 weeks in both groups[p value 0.001]. The mean healing time in PSF group was 11.6 weeks while in POP group it was 13.9 weeks. The complications seen in this study were pain during walking [5 [25%] patients in POP VS 3 [15%] patients in PSF group], knee stiffness [4[20%] patients in POP VS 2 [20%] patients in PSF group ], ankle stiffness [3[15%] patients in POP VS 1[5%] patients in PSF group], delay union [2[10%] patients in POP VS 1[5%] patients in PSF group ], non union [2[10%] patients in POP VS 0[0%] patients in PSF group ] P value 0.040. The longer duration of hospital stay about -10-20 days in 13[65%] of POP patients as compared to PSF cases where majority 16[80%] were discharged within 1 to 10 days[ p value 0.148]. The patients with complications had still longer stay in both group. The mean hospital stay in POP group was 14.6 days and PSF group was 8.4 days. The clinical results seen in this study were excellent [5[25%] patients in POP VS 13[65%] patients in PSF group], good [8[40%] patients in POP VS 5[25%] patients in PSF group], fair [5 [25%] patients in POP VS 2 [10%] patients in PSF group ] and poor [2[10%] patients in POP VS 0 [00%] patients in PSF group
Conclusions: We conclude that percutaneous screw fixation gives better results in type I schatzkartibial plateau fracture compared to plaster of paris cast. The complications were seen higher in POP cast