Abstract
Introduction. Incorrect restoration of the articular surface of the tibial plateau and the limb axis leads to disruption of joint relationships and angular deformities in 19–26% of cases. Currently, numerous treatment options exist for deformities and impression fractures of the posterolateral tibial condyle (PLF), but there is no consensus on the optimal surgical strategy for treating the posterolateral tibial condyle. Objective: to evaluate and compare our proposed technique with two modern fixation methods in a mechanical test on plastic models: a lateral condylar plate and a volar palmar plate for distal radius metaphysis. Materials and Methods. The mechanical experiment was conducted at the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnical University using a Zwick/Roell Z100 universal testing machine. Uniaxial static compression of the posterolateral condyle of a plastic tibial model was performed after corrective osteotomy with simulated bone grafting and fixation using three methods, until a PLF deformation of 5 mm or damage (destruction) of the structure was achieved. Descriptive and comparative statistical methods were applied to the data obtained. Results. The mechanical study revealed that the original method yielded the highest strength values, with an average value of 1562 N (max — 1812 N; min — 1406 N) at an average deformation of 10.16 mm. This was comparable to the previous method. The volar plate yielded an average strength of 1182 N (max — 1285 N; min — 1091 N) at an average deformation of 10.56 mm, while the lateral condylar plate yielded slightly lower average values, at 1155 N (max — 1366 N; min — 893 N) at an average deformation of 9.12 mm. Conclusion. A mechanical study showed that the axial stiffness of the original tibial plateau fracture treatment, without the use of traditional plates, was comparable to that of volar plate fixation for the radius and superior to that of a lateral condylar plate.