A posterolateral sheared fracture of the tibial plateau: a case presentation

BACKGROUND: Among tibial plateau fractures, one specialized type is the posterolateral column fracture. There are few published studies on posterolateral tibial plateau fractures with a sheared fragment that was wedged into the intercondylar fossa without the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. According to our research, this case presentation is the first to describe in detail the treatment and long-term follow-up for this uncommon subtype of posterolateral tibial plateau fracture. CASE PRESENTATION: A 46-year-old female injured her right knee when she was riding a motorbike and was diagnosed with a posterolateral sheared tibial plateau fracture with a wedge-shaped fragment inserted into the femoral intercondylar fossa. The fracture was repaired with open reduction internal fixation surgery. The patient’s recovery was followed for four years. The degree of healing as indicated by clinical and radiological examinations was substantial. The patient exhibited an excellent range of motion for the repaired knee (0-145°) and little discomfort. The Lysholm score was 96, the hospital for special surgery score was 98, the Rasmussen clinical assessment was 28, and the Rasmussen radiological assessment was 18. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that a posterolateral sheared tibial plateau, as seen in this case, can be reset and fixed sufficiently to achieve excellent long-term postoperative recovery.