Consecutive Bilateral Proximal Tibial Fractures after Minor Sports Trauma

Abstract

Introduction: Fractures of the proximal tibia are infrequent during childhood and adolescence. However, intra-articular fractures, growth plate separations and metaphyseal fractures do appear. Case Report: An obese adolescent male suffered from consecutive bilateral fractures of the tibia within 6 months of each after minor sports trauma. On the left side, the injury presented as a epiphyseal separation of the Salter-Harris I type; on the right side, as a transitional two-plane fracture. Both injuries were treated by percutanous screwing and healed without any signs of posttraumatic growth disorder. Discussion: Although proximal tibial injuries are rare, they frequently seem to appear bilaterally after inadequate trauma. A causal connection to morphological changes prior to physeal closure can be assumed.

Key words

epiphyseal separation - transitional fracture - proximal tibia - adolescence - minor trauma

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