Osteosynthesis or arthroplasty of fractures near the knee joint in geriatric patients – a clinical-economical comparison

Abstract Background The treatment of fractures of the tibial plateau or distal femur often represents a severe problem in geriatric patients. In particular, complex fracture types and concomitant severe osteoporosis are confronted with inferior results following internal fixation. Therefore, primary arthroplasty is increasingly propagated for such particular cases. Patients, Materials and Methods In 16 patients suffering from fractures of the distal femur or tibial plateau were treated either by internal fixation (n = 8) or primary arthroplasty (n = 8). The outcome of each case was retrospectively analysed accor…