Balloon tibioplasty for tibial plateau fractures

Background: Tibial plateau fractures are complex intra-articular injuries. The aim of treatment is to restore joint congruity and alignment. Balloon tibioplasty is a novel, minimally invasive technique to reduce the fracture and restore the continuity of the articular surface. A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines in order to assess the outcomes from this procedure. Sources of data: The online databases of Pubmed, Google scholar, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE and CINAHL were searched. Articles of interest were retrieved and evaluated, including case series, randomised controlled trials and cadaver studies. Areas of agreement: Eight studies (one randomised controlled trial, four case series and three cadaver studies) were included in the final review. The studies demonstrated adequate fracture reduction with favourable clinical and imaging outcomes from balloon tibioplasty. Very few complications were described. Areas of controversy: There is a small volume of literature currently available on balloon tibioplasty with an overall low level of evidence. The overall number of reported cases is also small. Growing points: Further research is necessary, with adequately powered randomised controlled trials. Further areas of research include type of bone substitute and the use of arthroscopically assisted surgery.