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Meta-Analysis
Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Orthop. Apr 18, 2026; 17(4): 116076
Published online Apr 18, 2026. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v17.i4.116076
Predictive value of preoperative computed tomography parameters for meniscal and cruciate ligament injuries in tibial plateau fractures: Meta-analysis
Ahmed Abdelazim A Hassan, Ahmed A Khalifa, Antia Rodriguez Villalon, Dimitri Hauri, Tracy Y Zhu
Ahmed Abdelazim A Hassan, Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Assiut University Hospital, Assiut 71515, Egypt
Ahmed A Khalifa, Department of Orthopaedic, Qena Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Qina, Egypt
Ahmed A Khalifa, Department of Orthopedic, Aster Sanad Hospital, Riyadh 14236, Saudi Arabia
Antia Rodriguez Villalon, Dimitri Hauri, Tracy Y Zhu, AO Innovation Translation Center, AO Foundation, Davos 7270, Graubünden, Switzerland
Co-first authors: Ahmed Abdelazim A Hassan and Ahmed A Khalifa.
Author contributions: Hassan AAA and Khalifa AA performed manuscript preparation, editing, and proofreading, and they contributed equally to this manuscript as co-first authors; Hassan AAA and Zhu TY contributed to the conceptualization of the protocol and formulated the literature search strategy; Hassan AAA and Villalon AR contributed to the literature screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment; Hauri D performed the statistical analysis; Zhu TY revised the final manuscript version. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript version.
Supported by the AO Foundation via the AO Innovation Translation Center Clinical Research Fellowship (partner with AO Trauma).
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Corresponding author: Ahmed A Khalifa, MD, Assistant Professor, FRCS, Department of Orthopaedic, Qena Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, South Valley University, Kilo 6 Qena-Safaga Highway, Qena 83523, Qina, Egypt. ahmed_adel0391@med.svu.edu.eg
Received: November 2, 2025
Revised: November 19, 2025
Accepted: January 28, 2026
Published online: April 18, 2026
Processing time: 159 Days and 22.6 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Although magnetic resonance imaging remains the gold standard for detecting meniscal and ligamentous injuries, it may not always be available in the acute trauma setting. This systematic review examined the predictive value of preoperative quantitative computed tomography scan parameters in identifying associated meniscal and cruciate ligament injuries in patients with tibial plateau fractures. Lateral plateau depression and widening were significantly greater in cases with lateral meniscus tears, confirming their diagnostic relevance. In contrast, medial plateau parameters and cruciate ligament correlations showed inconsistent predictive value. Preoperative computed tomography scans can provide valuable information beyond fracture characterization, offering indirect clues to concomitant soft-tissue injuries - particularly lateral meniscus.