Comparison of endoscopic and open resection for Haglund tuberosity in a cadaver study

About half of patients who have Haglund disease may require treatment by surgical resection of the superior portion of the calcaneal tuberosity. Endoscopic techniques have been described as alternatives to open surgery, but only results of uncontrolled retrospective clinical investigations have been reported. Up to now no research is available which compares these different procedures.

A controlled laboratory study was done to evaluate the morphologic appearance of the superior portion of the calcaneal tuberosity after endoscopic or open resection. The tuberosity was resected in 15 isolated fresh-frozen human cadaver lower limb specimens with either open (nine) or endoscopic (six) technique. Outcome was measured radiographically. Iatrogenic soft-tissue lesions of the distal Achilles tendon, plantaris tendon and sural nerve caused by the surgical procedure were evaluated by direct observation after anatomic dissection.

Radiographs revealed that the slope of the resection line (osteotomy angle) was steeper (p = 0.017) and the resected protruberance was larger (p = 0.003), while the remaining posterior rim was smaller (p = 0.048) after open resection than after endoscopic resection. Macroscopic analysis indicated that both approaches may damage soft tissues particularly the medial Achilles tendon column and in the plantaris tendon (relative risk = 0.5 in either group). Iatrogenic sural nerve injuries were found after both techniques (relative risk = 0.2 for endoscopic and 0.1 for open resection). Residual bursa tissue was detected only after endoscopy (relative risk = 0.3), while loose bony fragments were present only after open surgery (relative risk = 0.4).

The medial column of the Achilles tendon, the plantaris tendon, and the sural nerve are at risk in both open and endoscopic resection for Haglund disease.