The tibial eminence fracture in skeletally immature patients.

Overview

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Although tibial eminence fractures are uncommon, their importance cannot be overemphasized in skeletally immature patients because of the fracture's close proximity to both the tibial physis as well as the attachment between the tibial eminence and the anterior cruciate ligament, the latter being a key component in maintaining knee stability. This review focuses on recent trends in treatment concepts and devices. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent literature on this topic addresses the existence of a variety of treatment modalities, but the majority of these articles analyzed a limited number of cases and insisted on the merits of their own methods. Nevertheless, some consensus has been reached regarding treatment direction and how much laxity should be considered acceptable. SUMMARY: Although the review failed to reveal a gold standard modality in treating tibial eminence fractures, most studies agreed on several issues. Displaced intra-articular fractures should be fixed operatively.