To compare the similarities and differences of two modalities, absorbable suture anchors and suture sleeve ligation, for the treatment of tibial intercondylar ridge fractures.

Using the random number table method, eligible included and excluded tibialintercondylar crest fracture patients were treated in the department of orthopedics, the First People′s Hospital of Tianmen, from January 2018 to May 2019 were randomly divided into two groups: the wire anchor group (treated by absorbable suture anchor), and the suture cuff group (treated by suture cuff). The data were analyzed with t test or chi-square test to compare the general conditions, operative time, operative blood loss, fracture healing time, and other knee related functional indicators between the two groups, such as International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, Lysholm score, and visual analogue scale (VAS).

Age (t=0.409), gender(χ²=0.023), fracture cause(χ²=0.195), Meyers-McKeever fractures classification(χ²=1.653), injured side(χ²=0.820) and other general data were generally consistent (all P> 0.05). The surgical time (t=4.943) and fracture healing time (t=20.370) in the group with suture anchors were significantly shorter, and the intraoperative blood loss (t=5.291) was less than those in the suture sleeve ligation group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). The differences of Lysholm score (t=0.374), IKDC 2000 score (t=0.803), and VAS scores (t=0.063) preoperatively between the two groups were not significantly different (all P>0.05). At six months postoperatively, the Lysholm score (t=0.381), IKDC 2000 score (t=0.423), and VAS scores (t=0.421) of the two groups were also consistent (all P> 0.05).

The use of absorbable wire anchors and suture sleeve ligation can both promote the recovery of knee function in the patients with tibial intercondylar crest fractures, but the former one may reduce operative time, the fracture healing time and the operative blood loss.