A new instrumentation for heel spur resection.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Podiatric Medicine

Background:

• Inferior calcaneal exostosis, commonly known as heel spur, often requires surgical intervention when non-operative management proves insufficient.
• Various surgical techniques exist for heel spur resection, each with potential drawbacks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of using Kazanjian nasal forceps for the surgical resection of inferior calcaneal exostosis.
• To assess the procedure's impact on minimizing complications such as soft tissue damage, bone pain, and iatrogenic fractures.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study was conducted involving patients who underwent inferior calcaneal exostosis resection at Sheridan Park Hospital.
• The Kazanjian nasal forceps were utilized for spur removal in the selected patient cohort.

Main Results:

• The Kazanjian nasal forceps procedure demonstrated a reduction in soft tissue destruction compared to other methods.
• Patients experienced minimized bone pain post-operatively.
• The incidence of iatrogenic calcaneal fractures was notably low in the study group.

Conclusions:

• The Kazanjian nasal forceps offer a viable and effective surgical option for heel spur resection.
• This technique presents advantages in reducing operative morbidity, including soft tissue trauma and fracture risk.