Calcaneal fractures--open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF)

Although pioneers such as Leriche in 1921 [5] and Judet et al in 1954 [4] introduced screw or plate fixation of the broken calcaneus, surgical treatment using open anatomical reduction and stable internal osteosynthesis only commenced at the start of the 1980s. This treatment was made possible by the introduction of new imaging methods such as CT which allowed better detection of the fracture pathology and provided the basis for new surgical strategies. Since the start of the 1990s, various anatomically shaped steel and titanium calcaneal plates have been available. The Foot and Ankle Expert Group of the AO Foundation together with Synthes USA developed an anatomically shaped interlocking calcaneal plate, which has been available in steel since 2002, and a titaniummolybdenum(15%) alloy version (Mathys) since November 2003. The latter is now being tested clinically in our unit.