Ambulatory surgical management of most displaced tibial tubercle fractures in children is safe and efficient

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the outcome of patients with displaced tibial tubercle fractures treated surgically who spent one or more nights in the hospital after surgery with that of patients treated in an ambulatory setting with no perioperative hospitalization. We hypothesized that tibial tubercle fractures have a low rate of complications and that most patients do well without an overnight hospital stay for observation. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all pediatric tibial tubercle fractures treated operatively by a single surgeon over a 13.5-year period. Fractures treated in an inpatient setting, defined as at least one night of overnight hospitalization postoperatively, were compared with fractures treated in an ambulatory setting with no perioperative hospitalization. Results: Seventy-one fractures in 70 patients were analyzed. All fractures were treated with open reduction and internal fixation with unicortical screws. Thirty-five fractures (49.3%) were fixed in an ambulatory setting, while 36 (50.7%) were inpatient. There were no significant differences between inpatient demographics (age, gender, body mass index, fracture type). Average operative time was significantly longer in the inpatient group compared with the ambulatory group (97.8 min versus 58.8 min, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between inpatient and ambulatory groups (25.0% versus 11.4%, p = 0.22). No cases of compartment syndrome were noted. Conclusion: Ambulatory surgical treatment of select tibial tubercle fractures with same-day discharge is safe and efficient. Not all patients with surgically treated tibial tubercle fractures need to stay overnight in the hospital.

Utilizing Suture Anchors in Addition to Screws for Treatment of Tibial Tubercle Avulsion Fracture: A Case Report

“…Arkader et al compared the treatment outcomes among 51, 13, and 23 patients with the use of unicortical, mixed, and bicortical screws, respectively, and found no significant differences among the screw types [11]. In 2023, Zukotynski et al reported on 71 patients who were treated with unicortical screws, and all had adequate healing and returned to full activities [12]. Given the rarity of this complication, it is inconclusive as to which screw is superior [6].…”