Abstract: Background and Objective: There is an increased incidence of tibial eminence fractures in skeletally mature adults due to increased road traffic accidents and participation in sports activities (reference). The study has been undertaken to evaluate the functional outcome of acute tibial eminence fractures treated arthroscopically with a pull-through suture technique.
Methods: This study included thirty-one patients with acute tibial eminence fractures treated arthroscopically between November 2019 and March 2021. All the fractures were fixed using a pull-through suture technique and tied over the suture disc.
Results: Among the thirty-one patients treated, the most common cause of injury was a road traffic accident, followed by sports injuries. Two patients were injured due to a kick by the bull. In sports injuries, Kabaddi was the most prevalent cause of anterior cruciate ligament damage. Males made up 29 (94%) cases, while females made up just 2 (6%). The majority of the patients were between the ages of 40 and 49 (45 per cent). 64.5 per cent of patients (n=20) had surgery within five days of their accident. In our study, the mean preoperative IKDC scores were 50.94, and the mean postoperative IKDC scores were 87.73, indicating a considerable improvement. The mean pre-operative Lysholm score was 60.1, and postoperative Lysholm scores were 91.5. One patient had five degrees of extensor lag, and one patient had a fixed flexion deformity at ten degrees due to poor compliance to rehabilitation. Patients showed significant improvement by the end of 3 months and were allowed to return to daily activities by the end of 3 months and sports by six months. The percentage of patients who ended up having good to excellent outcomes is 83.8 and the percentage of patients returning to pre-injury level is 70.
Conclusion: Treating acute tibial eminence fractures with an arthroscopic pull-through suture technique gives good rigid fixation and improves the functional outcome.
