Procedure-Specific Hardware Removal After Evans Osteotomy

The Evans osteotomy is a widely used procedure for the correction of adult and pediatric flexible flatfoot deformity. Locking plates are commonly used to stabilize the osteotomy and the allograft. However, there have been incidences of soft-tissue irritation caused by the hardware, requiring subsequent hardware removal. Therefore, we sought to review whether age, sex, or laterality of the procedure had any correlation with the rate of hardware removal.

A retrospective review was performed of 47 consecutive patients who underwent an Evans calcaneal osteotomy between October 1, 2013, and October 1, 2016. Data were collected and analyzed based on age, sex, laterality, and the need for hardware removal.

All of the 47 patients met the inclusion criteria. Seventy procedures were performed, and hardware removal was required in 16 patients and 21 feet (30%). The only statistically significant finding was that 11 females and only five males required either unilateral or bilateral hardware removal (P = .039). All 16 patients reported complete pain relief after hardware removal.

Females are twice as likely as males to develop symptoms after locking plate application over an Evans osteotomy and may require hardware removal. Despite the low-profile nature of the locking plate to fixate the Evans osteotomy, the hardware can be a source of significant pain. Patients, especially females, should be cautioned about potential hardware-related pain and a possible follow-up procedure to remove the hardware.