International orthopaedics
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Multicenter Study
Wound complications after open reduction and internal fixation of tibial plateau fractures in the elderly: a multicentre study.
The incidence of wound complications after open reduction with internal fixation (ORIF) of tibial plateau fractures in young patients has been reported to range from approximately 5 to 15%. Reports on wound complication rates in the elderly patients are limited. This study investigates the incidence of post-operative wound complications in elderly patients undergoing ORIF of their tibial plateau fractures. ⋯ The overall infection rates in elderly patients undergoing ORIF for tibial plateau fractures is in a similar range to published data on younger patient populations. In particular, elderly patients without significant co-morbidities seem to be appropriate candidates for ORIF of their tibial plateau fractures. However, elderly patients with significant co-morbidities must be considered as high risk and alternative treatment options, such as nonoperative treatment or less invasive surgical options, should be explored in these patients.