Treatment Of The Posterolateral Tibial Plateau Fractures Applying The Jodose Position

Objectives：To explore the therapeutic efficacy in patients with the posterolateraltibial plateau fractures who received surgical treatment in Jodose position.Methods: From August2010to August2012,10patients with posterolateral tibialplateau fractures were treated surgically in Jodose position and their clinical data wereretrospectively analyzed. Postoperative X rays were performed to assess the healing offracture, altitude restoration of collapsed region in tibia platform and internal fixation.The range of knee motion was measured to evaluate the recovery of knee function.Results: All of these10patients with posterolateral tibial plateau fracturesreceiving operations in Jodose position were followed up, with a mean follow-up of13months (12-24months). There were no intraoperative neural or vascular injuries duringsurgeries. And after operation, no wound infections, no looseness or rupture of internalfixation was found in these patients. Confirmed by the immediate X ray duringoperation,10patients all obtained anatomical reduction. The mean healing time offracture was15weeks (12-17weeks) while the mean time of full weight bearing was17weeks (15-24weeks). According to the HSS scoring system, the average scores forknee joint was87.3(ranged64-93)12months after operation, with an excellent rate of90%. All patents recovered well, without complications such as wound infections,ineffectiveness of internal fixation and nonunion.Conclusions: Surgical treatment in Jodose position via anterolateral approach forposterolateral tibial plateau fractures can provide more operation space to expose the tibial plateau more clearly. This position is convenient not only for the reduction andinternal fixation of fracture but for intraoperative fluoroscopic examination. With aseries of advantages including good exposure, easy installation of instrumentation,small operative trauma and excellent effectiveness, it is a surgical position worthy ofpromotion. The application of appropriate instrumentation and functional exercises is infavor of satisfactory clinical outcomes.