Surgical management of displaced adolescent tillaux fractures with the mini-open technique

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on the optimal treatment of Tillaux-Chaput fractures. The results of our cases treated with mini-open surgery (open reduction and internal fixation) concerning efficacy and complications, we aim to compare other procedures (open, percutaneous, and arthroscopy-assisted) with the literature data and to look for an answer to the question of whether the primary treatment can be mini-open surgery. METHODS: Between the years 2014 and 2017, 22 of 30 patients with Tillaux-Chaput fractures were treated using mini-open sur-gery, open reduction and internal fixation with one cannulated screw. These cases were retrospectively examined concerning age, sex, side, surgery duration, complications, and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Score (AOFAS). Functional results were statistically evaluated 12 months after the injury. Follow-up included a clinical examination, imaging and AOFAS. RESULTS: Of the patients, 14 were male (63.6%) and eight were female (36.4%). The mean age of the patients was 13.8 years. The mean surgery duration was 21 minutes. All fractures healed after an average of 14 weeks. No complications were observed in any of the cases. The mean follow-up time was 24.7 months. The mean preoperative AOFAS score was 53.3 and the mean postoperative AOFAS score was 93.6, which was a statistically significant difference. At the last follow-up, the AOFAS score was perfect for all cases. CONCLUSION: Contrary to what is stated in the literature, the mini-open surgical procedure has many advantages. The operation is very short and the risk of nerve injury is very low. This study showed that Tillaux-Chaput fractures could be safely and efficiently treated with mini-open surgery. We recommend mini-open surgery, complete anatomical reduction, and internal fixation for successful results.