Displaced intra-articular calcaneal fracture treated surgically with limited posterior incision

The incidence of calcaneal fracture has been slowly increasing; however, the ideal treatment for displaced intra-articular fracture is not available yet, even though the fracture brings frequent complication and disability. Between April 1991 and March 1998, we treated 103 displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures of 92 patients surgically with limited posterior incision, modified Gallie approach. There were thirty-seven tongue-type fractures, fifteen tongue-type fractures with moderate comminution, nineteen joint-depression fractures, twenty-nine joint-depression fractures with moderate comminution, and three extensively comminuted fractures. The fracture fragments were fixed mainly with partly threaded small cancellous screws or Steinmann pins without any bone graft. Ankle and subtalar motion was permitted immediately if fixation were stable enough. Otherwise, a short period of cast immobilization was utilized. With a mean follow-up of 28 months (range, 12 to 66 months), eighty six percent of feet had no pain or only occasional pain not requiring medication. Using American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society hindfoot score system for assessment, ninety percent of feet rated as good to excellent. We used "Circle draw test" for evaluation of subtalar motion during follow-up visitation and found eight-seven percent of feet showed good to excellent correlation with the functional recovery. We recommend a limited posterior incision for reduction and internal fixation of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures. For displaced intra-articular fractures with three or four large fragments without further comminution and without a displaced fracture of the calcaneal cuboid joint, this method is particularly useful. We also recommend a Circle draw test for evaluation of subtalar joint motion as well as an indicator of functional recovery after displaced calcaneal fractures.