Table 3.
Patient outcomes for tibial plateau fractures and tibial plafond fractures
| Parameter | Early external fixation (n = 42) | Delayed external fixation (n = 45) | Relative risk/mean difference (95% CI) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tibial plateau fractures | ||||
| Infection | 8 (19%) | 9 (20%) | 0.93 (0.31–2.78) | 0.861 |
| Compartment syndrome | 6 (14%) | 3 (7%) | 0.47 (0.12–1.75) | 0.304 |
| Secondary procedures | 46 | 60 | 0.586 | |
| Length of hospitalization | 8 days (3.8) | 10 days (6.4) | 1.5 (−3.9 to 0.70) | 0.170 |
| Time to fixation | 8 days (6.4) | 11 days (6.7) | 2.92 (0.13–5.7) | 0.040 |
| Parameter | Early external fixation (n = 38) | Delayed external fixation (n = 34) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tibial plafond fractures | ||||
| Infection | 12 (32%) | 7 (21%) | 1.39 (0.45–4.31) | 0.573 |
| Compartment syndrome | 2 (5%) | 3 (9%) | 1.67 (0.30–9.44) | 0.662 |
| Secondary procedures | 56 | 29 | 0.156 | |
| Length of hospitalization | 9 days (7.2) | 9 days (6.1) | 0.24 (−2.9 to 3.4) | 0.878 |
| Time to fixation | 12 days (6.2) | 12 days (6.8) | 0.39 (−2.7 to 3.4) | 0.801 |
CI = confidence interval.