Mal-united fracture of calcaneum treated with lateral decompression

Fracture calcaneum is commonly complicated with mal-union. Mal-union is usually presented with broadening of the lateral wall of the calcaneum, irregularity of the sub-talar joint and loss of the vertical height of the body of calcaneum with varus rotation. In this study twenty three (n=23) patients underwent a lateral decompression for pain on lateral aspect of foot on walking and tip toeing, secondary to a mal-united calcaneal fracture with or without sub-talar intra-articular involvement. Almost every patient had ballooned out body of calcaneum with impingement of peroneal tendon sheath with its content and lateral heel pain as a result of deformity. So in current study the operative procedure selected was excision of a lateral calcaneal bony mass and decompression of the peroneal tendon to relieve pain. Peroneal tenogram was a routine procedure before surgery to detect presence and site of blockade within tendon sheath. The average follow-up was for a period of 31.6 months. Result was assessed according to American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hind foot Scale. Two patients (n=2, 8.69%) had excellent (Category 1) result, seventeen (n=17, 73.9%) were good (Category 2), two (n=2, 8.69%) were fair (Category 3) and rest two (n=2, 8.69%) were with poor (Category 4) outcome. Every four out of five patients got back painless Heel and Ankle after surgery. The results suggest that the lateral decompression procedure is a technically simpler yet viable alternative to late sub-talar fusion for lateral pain following a mal-united fracture of calcaneum.