15 Common Causes of Tibial Plateau Fracture

Tibial plateau fractures are a common type of knee injury that lands thousands of people in the emergency room every year. It’s estimated that approximately 1% of total fractures every year are tibial plateau fractures, which usually take place when there’s a strong impact which compresses the knee – and of course, there are a thousand different ways in which this can take place, from skiing through to car accidents. 

If you have a tibial plateau fracture, it’s likely that you might need surgery – and your knee and leg will likely have to be placed in a cast for up to eight weeks depending on the severity of the injury. Symptoms of a tibial plateau fracture can include swelling of the knee, extreme pain and the inability to move or bend the leg.

Here are 8 of the most common causes of a tibial plateau fracture that you should look out for.

1. Car Accident as a Pedestrian

Car accidents happen at a rate of a few thousand per year, with increases during certain times of the year as roads get busier, usually during the holiday season. They’re called accidents because of the fact that you never know when or where they can take place. These types of accidents don’t just affect you as a motorist or driver: There are thousands of pedestrians who are in accidents every single year, and these types of accidents usually result in impacts such as tibial plateau fractures, which can be extremely painful and vary in severity.

Tibial fractures are one of the most common types that can be sustained by pedestrians in car accidents; this impact is usually transferred directly from the bumper through to the knee, causing a tibial plateau fracture. In fact, they’re so common with these types of accidents that they can also be referred to as bumper fractures.

Immediate medical attention is needed, even where the injury might seem slight at first.