Results
Using propensity scores, patients from the ICBG group were matched to patients in the calcium phosphate group based on age, sex, BMI, involvement of the fracture in each of the three columns of the tibial plateau, and the hospital at which the patient underwent surgery and received their immediate postoperative care before discharge. Patients were matched with a 2:1 so that the final cohort consisted of 24 patients in the ICBG group and 48 patients in the calcium phosphate group. The groups did not differ with respect to baseline characteristics (Table 1).
Table 1: Baseline demographics
| Characteristic |
Group
|
p-value |
| Calcium Phosphate, N = 48 |
ICBG, N = 24 |
| Demographics |
| Age |
50.1 +/- 18.6 |
49.6 +/- 19.0 |
0.923 |
| Sex |
|
|
0.501 |
| Female |
26 (54.2%) |
15 (62.5%) |
|
| Male |
22 (45.8%) |
9 (37.5%) |
|
| BMI |
27.6 +/- 6.4 |
27.4 +/- 6.1 |
0.935 |
| Fracture Pattern |
| Posterior column |
23 (47.9%) |
14 (58.3%) |
0.404 |
| Medial column |
1 (2.1%) |
2 (8.3%) |
0.256 |
| Lateral column |
48 (100.0%) |
23 (95.8%) |
0.333 |
Table 2: Outcomes
| Characteristic |
Group
|
p-value |
| Calcium Phosphate, N = 48 |
ICBG, N = 24 |
| SMFA Score |
| Dysfunction Index - 6 months |
30.0 +/- 20.6 |
39.9 +/- 22.0 |
0.073 |
| Dysfunction Index - Final |
25.4 +/- 20.6 |
34.2 +/- 21.9 |
0.111 |
| Bothersome Index - 6 months |
22.8 +/- 21.8 |
22.0 +/- 18.3 |
0.860 |
| Bothersome Index - Final |
19.8 +/- 22.8 |
19.4 +/- 18.8 |
0.932 |
| Articular Depression (mm) |
| Injury |
7.3 +/- 4.7 |
7.6 +/- 4.5 |
0.783 |
| Postoperative |
0.0 +/- 0.2 |
0.0 +/- 0.0 |
0.159 |
| Final |
0.0 +/- 0.2 |
0.0 +/- 0.0 |
0.159 |
| Alignment (°) |
| Postoperative |
88.1 +/- 1.3 |
88.0 +/- 1.6 |
0.763 |
| Final |
88.0 +/- 1.4 |
88.2 +/- 1.2 |
0.695 |
| Knee Range of Motion (°) |
| Flexion |
125.5 +/- 11.5 |
117.9 +/- 13.7 |
0.025 |
| Extension |
0.3 +/- 1.6 |
0.5 +/- 2.1 |
0.641 |
| Complications |
| Pain |
3.2 +/- 2.8 |
3.8 +/- 2.1 |
0.344 |
| Stiffness |
0 (0.0%) |
4 (16.7%) |
0.010 |
| Wound Complication |
2 (4.2%) |
1 (4.2%) |
>0.999 |
| Infection |
2 (4.2%) |
1 (4.2%) |
>0.999 |