TIBIAL PLATEAU FRACTURE
In simple terms, a tibial plateau fracture is a break at the very top of your shinbone (tibia), right where it meets your knee joint.
Think of your shinbone as a pillar that holds up your knee.
The “plateau” is the flat, bowl-shaped top of that pillar.
Its job is to act like a shelf that supports the weight of your leg and helps your knee move smoothly.
So, this fracture means that shelf has cracked or collapsed — usually from a hard impact, like:
· Falling from a height (ladder, ski jump)
· A car bumper hitting your knee
· A bad sports collision
Because it’s a weight-bearing surface, even a small crack can be serious.
If the bone fragments sink down, your knee may become unstable, and the smooth cartilage covering the plateau can be damaged — leading to long-term arthritis.
In doctor’s terms: It’s a joint fracture that often needs surgery to “rebuild the shelf” so you can walk and bend your knee again without pain.
Call your orthopod traumatologist for this injury.
ZP