Three-Column classification for fracture of tibial plateau and the related reliability assessment / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the reliability of the Three-Column classification for fracture of tibial plateau and compared with the conventional Schatzker classification.Methods From December 2004 to March 2007,304 patients with tibial plateau fracture were treated in our department.The CT scans and 3D reconstruction were performed in all patients before operation.All the patients were classified by the Three-Column classification and then treated with open reduction and internal fixation via the corresponding approaches based on the Three-Column classification.To validate the Three-Column classification,four doctors classified 50 patients which were chosen randomly from 323 consecutive fracture cases.Schatzker classification was also classified at the same time.Inter-observer reliabilities of the Three-Column classification and the Schatzker classification were figured out respectively in the form of Kappa value.Results According to the Three-Column classification,there were 4 pure compression fractures (1.2％),181 one-column fractures(56.0％),108 two-column fractures(33.4％) and 30 three-column fractures (9.3％) in all 323 cases.In one-column fracture cases,the numbers of lateral,medial,and posterior column fractures were 114 (63.0％),53 (29.3％),and 14 (7.7％),respectively.Among two-column fracture cases,the lateral-medial column fractures (33.3％) were 36.While the number of medial-posterior column fractures and lateral-posterior column fractures were 34 (31.5％) and 38 (35.2％),respectively.There was a moderate inter-observer reliability when using Schatzker classification (Kappa=0.567; range,0.513-0.589).There was a substantial interobserver reliability when using the Three-Column classification (Kappa=0.766; range,0.706-0.890).Conclusion The Three-Column classification based on CT and 3D reconstruction is simple and more reliable for fracture of tibial plateau.It is suggested that the new classification system,the Three-Column classification,can be used and popularized in the orthopaedic surgery.