Incidence of calcaneal apophysitis in Northwest Istanbul

Calcaneal apophysitis is a common clinical entity affecting children and adolescents. It is also known as Sever's disease. Heel pain without a recent trauma is the primary manifestation. There are limited studies on the incidence of this disease. In this study, we aimed to report the regional incidence in Istanbul.

This retrospective audit of health records of all paediatric patients aged 6-17 years between January 1, 2014, and December 15, 2017 was undertaken. During this period, data were extracted from health records that recorded calcaneal apophysitis as the primary diagnosis.

The 4-year incidence of calcaneal apophysitis was found to be 0.35% (74 of 20,967 paediatric patients). It commonly affected males, and bilateral cases were more common than unilateral cases. There were more admissions during the spring season, which may indicate a possible association with physical activity.

Although calcaneal apophysitis is a relatively common paediatric foot problem, due to its benign course and spontaneous healing capacity, most physicians are not interested in this topic. However, increased awareness of this diagnosis is important for reducing the rates of unnecessary radiological examinations and orthopaedic referrals. With increased knowledge, most cases may be diagnosed at the family physician level, which may decrease the economic burden on the health system. Incidence reports from various countries and regions may be published in the future.