Schatzker classification of tibial plateau fractures

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Schatzker classification system is one method of classifying tibial plateau fractures into six different categories.

Increase in category number denotes increasing severity, reflecting not only increased energy imparted to the bone at the time of injury but also an increasingly worse prognosis ¹. The most common fracture of the tibial plateau is type II.

Classification

This system divides tibial plateau fractures into six types:

Schatzker I: wedge-shaped pure cleavage fracture of the lateral tibial plateau, originally defined as having less than 4 mm of depression or displacement
Schatzker II: splitting and depression of the lateral tibial plateau; namely, type I fracture with a depressed component
Schatzker III: pure depression of the lateral tibial plateau
- divided into two subtypes
  - Schatzker IIIa: with lateral depression
  - Schatzker IIIb: with central depression
Schatzker IV: medial tibial plateau fracture with a split or depressed component
Schatzker V: wedge fracture of both lateral and medial tibial plateau
Schatzker VI: transverse tibial ~~metadiaphysial~~metadiaphyseal fracture, along with any type of tibial plateau fracture

History and etymology

This classification was first published by Joseph Schatzker et al. in 1990 ⁴.

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Schatzker classification of tibial plateau fractures

Updates to Article Attributes

Classification

History and etymology

See also

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