Functional and Radiological Outcomes of Distal Femur Fractures Fixed With Bicolumnar Plating: A Retrospective Study

Distal femur fractures are challenging orthopedic injuries, especially when involving the intra-articular extension or occurring in osteoporotic bone. With the increased use of dual-column fixation, bicolumnar plating has shown promise in improving stability and outcomes.

This study aimed to evaluate the functional and radiological outcomes of distal femur fractures treated with bicolumnar plating using the Knee Society Score (KSS) and the Modified Radiological Union Score of Tibia (RUST) at the three-month, six-month, and one-year follow-up.

This retrospective observational study included 50 patients aged 20-60 years with closed distal femur fractures treated with bicolumnar plating at R.L. Jalappa Hospital and Research Center between May 2021 and April 2024. Functional outcomes were assessed using the KSS, and radiological union was evaluated using the Modified RUST score. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0 (Released 2018; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), with descriptive statistics and paired t-tests.

Mean KSS progressively improved from 64.2 ± 2.8 at three months to 93.4 ± 2.2 at one year (t = 48.53, p < 0.001). Similarly, Modified RUST scores improved from 17.6 ± 1.8 to 27.3 ± 1.3 (t = 39.72, p < 0.001). Five (10%) patients experienced complications. The improvement in both outcome measures was statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Bicolumnar plating is an effective method for managing complex distal femur fractures, offering reliable functional recovery and radiological union with a low complication rate.