Union Rates and Complications of Lateral Column Lengthening Using the Interposition Plating Technique: A Radiographic...

Lateral column lengthening is a common procedure for correction of pes planovalgus. A tricortical bone graft has been a standard among foot and ankle surgeons. The purpose of the present study was to compare the union rates and complications between the 2 forms of fixation for lateral column lengthening. The present study was a retrospective medical record and radiograph review of 52 patients divided into 2 equal groups, allograft (group A) and opening wedge plate (group B). The radiographic analyses compared the preoperative, postoperative and long-term measurements of cuboid abduction and talonavicular angles. The outcome measures included nonunion, hardware removal, and infection. The median follow-up duration for each group was 34.5 (range 6.3 to 89.5) months and 12.6 (range 6.5 to 56.8) months for groups A and B, respectively. Group A had 4 nonunions (15.4%) and group B had 2 nonunions (7.7%). The mean radiographic measurements of cuboid abduction and talonavicular articulation for each group improved significantly. The incidence of hardware removal was greater for group A than for group B (30.8% versus 15.4%), although the difference was not statistically significant. The median time to osseous healing for group A was 12.0 (range 8.0 to 80.0) weeks and for group B was 10.0 (range 6.0 to 36.0) weeks. The interposition plating techniques for lateral column lengthening procedures had a lower nonunion rate and incidence of hardware removal compared with the traditional use of tricortical bone grafting. The findings from the present study will aid surgeons in alternative fixation for lateral column lengthening procedures.