Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine

Introduction: Tibial plateau fractures, which comprise about 1% of all fractures, can be challenging to diagnose in the emergency department setting. Missed and delayed diagnoses can result in poor outcomes for patients and legal risks for clinicians, necessitating a high level of vigilance.

Case Series: In this article we review three malpractice cases related to tibial plateau fractures. Key issues included missed or delayed diagnosis, mismanagement of associated complications, inadequate discharge instructions, and lack of documentation.

Conclusion: Tibial plateau fractures can be challenging to identify, heightening the risk of downstream complications. As a result, emergency physicians must remain vigilant in assessing patients who are at increased risk for these injuries and document their efforts to both evaluate for and communicate these risks to patients.