Journal of orthopaedic trauma
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Reduction of the articular surface in displaced tibial plateau fractures is still challenging and may result in joint incongruence, leading to posttraumatic arthrosis. Conventional techniques use bone tamps and similar instruments, which can increase the surgical trauma due to their size. "Balloon tibioplasty" is a novel minimally invasive technique for the reduction of depressed tibial plateau fractures. We successfully applied an inflatable balloon, commercially available from kyphoplasty, to elevate the depressed articular fragments. ⋯ Balloon tibioplasty was applied in 5 patients with displaced tibial plateau fractures (OTA type B2/3). No intra- or postoperative complications were observed. This new technique may be a useful tool to facilitate the reduction of select depressed tibial fractures in the future.