Subchondral rafting wires reduce tibial plateau fracture subsidence

To determine if subchondral rafting wires retained as adjunctive tibial plateau fracture fixation affect postoperative articular subsidence.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at one Level 1 trauma center and one academic university hospital. Consecutive adults with closed, displaced OTA/AO 41B/C tibial plateau fractures treated between 2018 and 2023 with open reduction internal fixation were included. Patients who were not ambulatory, with contralateral injuries limiting weight bearing, and without follow-up radiographs of the injured extremity were excluded. The intervention was retention of subchondral rafting wires as definitive fixation. The primary outcome was linear articular surface subsidence between postoperative and follow-up AP knee radiographs. Linear subsidence was compared between groups using Welch’s two sample t test. Associations of linear subsidence with patient, injury, and treatment characteristics were assessed by multivariable linear regression.

We identified 179 patients of a mean age of 44 ± 14 years, of whom 15 (8.4%) received subchondral rafting wires. Median follow-up was 121 days. No patients who received rafting wires as definitive implants experienced linear subsidence ≥ 2 mm, while 22 patients (13.4%) who did not receive rafting wires experienced linear subsidence ≥ 2 mm (p = 0.130). Subchondral rafting wires were associated with less linear subsidence (0.3 mm [95% confidence interval − 0.3–0.9 mm] vsersus 1.0 mm [− 0.9–2.9 mm], p < 0.001). The depth of linear subsidence was significantly associated on multivariable regression with male sex, depressed plateau area, active smoking, and retained rafting wires.

Subchondral rafting wires were associated with a small reduction in articular subsidence after internal fixation of tibial plateau fractures. Routine rafting wires may be useful for patients and fractures at high risk of articular subsidence.