[Surgical treatment for intra-articular calcaneal fractures]

To evaluate clinical result of surgical treatment for intra-articular calcaneal fractures using calcaneal anatomy plate.

From September 2004 to October 2009, 72 patients with intra-articular calcaneal fractures were reviewed. There were 61 males and 11 females, ranging in age from 19 to 54 years old,with an average of 39.7 years old. The course of the disease ranged from 1 to 17 days. All the patients performed X-ray and semi-coronal CT scan before and after operation. According to Sanders classification system, there were 40 cases of type III and 32 cases of type IV. All the patients were treated with lateral L-type incision and calcaneal anatomy plate. The therapeutic effects were evaluated according to the standard of calcaneal fracture of the American surgery association of foot and ankle.

All the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 10 to 48 months, with a mean of 38 months. According to standard of calcaneal fracture of the American surgery association of foot and ankle, 14 patients got an excellent result, 38 good, 9 fair and 11 poor. Five patients got incision non-union. Arthritis of subtalar joint was found in 3 cases.

Open reduction and internal fixation of plate is effective to get good reduction for subtalar joint, which is a good method to treat intra-articular calcaneal fracture.