Inter-observer variation of the Schatzker and Khan classification of Tibial plateau fractures: Cohort study
Mansoor Ali Khan1, Sateesh Pal1, Syed Kamran Ahmed1
1Department of Orthopedics, The Indus Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Objective:
To compare the inter-observer reliability of Shatzker classification and Khan Classification of Tibial plateau fractures.
Methods:
This retrospective cohort study was conducted at The Indus Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Radiographs of 50 patients who presented with tibial plateau fractures from March 2015 to November 2016 were collected. Two observers classified these cases independently according to Shatzker and Khan Classification. Gwet's AC1 statistics applied to assess inter-observer reliability of both the classification systems.
Results:
Moderate inter-observer agreement for Schatzker classification (p<0.001) and slight inter-observer agreement on Khan Classification (p=0.738) was observed.
Conclusions:
Khan Classification is more comprehensive in classifying tibial plateau fractures and can be used for clinical research purpose, while Shatzker classification with better inter-observer reliability is applicable for routine clinical practice.
