Classification/classification

Depending on the type of injury caused by the accident, the tibial head fracture can be divided into different types of fractures. This division is based on the so-called AO classification. Initially, a distinction is made according to whether the fracture has caused only one or several fragments.

In the following, a distinction is then made between so-called impression fractures and depression fractures. A further important criterion is whether the fracture extends to the joint space and to what extent this is also affected. According to these criteria, the respective injury can then be assigned to one of the grades A,B,C. There are also other subgroups.

ICD Code

The ICD system is an international coding system for unambiguous detection of diseases. Each disease can be classified with a unique code. The ICD code for a tibial head fracture is S82.

1, although within the ICD code a further subdivision is also possible with regard to the fracture site or structures affected. For example, S82. 11 stands for a tibial head fracture involving the fibula.

Symptoms

Typical symptoms of a tibial head fracture include pain below the knee and swelling in this area. The pain becomes worse under stress, if this is even possible. In most cases, the fracture causes instability in the lower leg.

Depending on the pattern of injury, the lower leg can also deviate from its typical axis, or be twisted. In addition, the entire lower leg can develop haematomas, since the injury can also affect blood vessels. If nerves have also been injured by the fracture, it is also possible that the feeling in the area of the lower leg or foot is disturbed.

However, this sensitivity can also recover after the therapy, especially if the treatment is carried out quickly. The therapy depends very much on the extent of the injury. In case of a slight fracture, e.g.B.

If the tibial plateau has only a few tears, conservative therapy may be sufficient. This usually consists of immobilizing the leg with a plaster cast. In some cases it may be necessary to reduce the leg before the cast is applied, so that the fracture can heal in its natural position.

In most cases the cast must remain in place for about 4-6 weeks. In addition, other methods can be used to fix the leg in a certain position. These include above all splint systems.

After the immobilization phase, it is then particularly important to supplement the therapy with physiotherapy as early as possible. This can often prevent excessive muscle atrophy or rebuild muscles. If the response to therapy is good, the leg can usually be fully loaded again after about 3 months. Overall, however, conservative treatment is longer than surgery. Since the time during which the leg is immobilized by a splint is longer than with surgical procedures, it is often necessary to allow a little more time until the leg is completely healed.