Schatzker Classification
Medical professionals use a special system developed by a health expert called Joseph Schatzker to classify tibial plateau fractures. In general, the condition can be divided into 6 main types:
– Type 1: pure cleavage fracture in the wedge shape, with a displacement or depression of no more than 4 mm
– Type 2: type 1 features plus depression in bones
– Type 3: depression in the lateral tibial plateau. It is divided into two sub-categories: Schatzker IIIa involves a lateral depression and Schatzker IIIb involves a central depression
– Type 4: medial fracture with depression or split
– Type 5: wedge fracture of the medial and lateral tibial plateau
– Type 6: transverse fracture plus a dissociation between the narrow and midsection of the bone
Note that successive types are more serious than the previous ones. [2]
