Is It Safe to Prep the External Fixator In Situ During Staged ORIF of Bicondylar Tibial Plateau Fractures? A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study

Objectives: To compare the risk of deep infection and unplanned reoperation after staged open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of bicondylar tibial plateau (BTP) fractures whether elements of the temporizing external fixator were prepped into the surgical field or completely removed before definitive fixation. Design: Retrospective comparative cohort study. Setting: Two academic Level 1 trauma centers. Patients/Participants: One hundred forty-seven OTA/AO 41-C (Schatzker 6) BTP fractures treated with a 2-stage protocol of acute spanning ex-fix followed by definitive ORIF between 2001 and 2018. Intervention: Seventy-eight fractures had retained elements of the original ex-fix prepped in situ during surgery for definitive internal fixation, and 69 had the ex-fix construct completely removed before prepping and draping. Main Outcome Measures: Deep infection and unplanned reoperation. Results: Among 147 patients treated with staged ORIF, the overall deep infection rate was 26.5% and the reoperation rate was 33.3%. There were high rates of deep infection (26.9% vs. 26.1%, P = 0.909) and unplanned reoperation (30.8% vs. 36.2%, P = 0.483) in both groups, but no difference whether the ex-fix was prepped in or completely removed. Within the retained ex-fix group, there was no difference in infection with retention of the entire ex-fix compared with only the ex-fix pins (28.1% vs. 26.1%, P = 0.842). Conclusions: We observed high complication rates in this cohort of OTA/AO 41C BTP fractures treated with staged ORIF, but prepping in the ex-fix did not lead to a significant increase in rates of infection or reoperation. This study provides the treating surgeon with clinical data about a common practice used to facilitate definitive fixation of unstable BTP fractures.