| In the evaluation of tibial plateau fracture repair, restoring and maintaining the plateau surface is crucial to prevent
osteoarthritis and axis deviation. This study examines the efficacy of using trabecular metal (porous tantalum) in repairing
central depression tibial plateau fractures. Fresh frozen human cadaveric tibiae were randomly assigned to two treatments:
impact cancellous bone graft with stabilizing screws, or an experimental approach involving trabecular metal discs
supported by screws beneath the comminute articular surface. The tibiae underwent cyclic loading using MTS machines to
simulate immediate postoperative loads. Results showed lower caudad displacement in trabecular metal constructs
compared to standard of care constructs (1.32 ± 0.1mm vs 0.80 ± 0.1mm, p < 0.05). Additionally, trabecular metal
constructs exhibited higher strength at load to failure (3275 N) compared to the standard of care (2650 N). These findings
suggest that trabecular metal constructs offer superior biomechanical properties for tibial plateau fracture repairddd |
