Successful Healing After Minimally Invasive Subtalar Fusion Following Comminuted Open Calcaneus Fracture: A Case...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Trauma Care
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Complex calcaneus fractures pose significant treatment challenges.
• Traditional open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) carries a high risk of wound complications.
• Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) offers potential benefits in soft tissue preservation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel minimally invasive surgical (MIS) technique for treating a comminuted Sanders IV calcaneus fracture.
• To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous ORIF combined with primary subtalar fusion in restoring alignment and preserving soft tissue.
• To assess the safety and outcomes of this approach compared to traditional open methods.

Main Methods:

• A 51-year-old male polytrauma patient with bilateral calcaneus fractures underwent treatment for his right foot.
• Percutaneous open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) was performed for the comminuted Sanders IV calcaneus fracture.
• Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) primary subtalar fusion was utilized to restore alignment and preserve soft tissue.

Main Results:

• The described MIS approach successfully restored alignment of the calcaneus fracture.
• Radiological healing was achieved at 1-year follow-up.
• The patient demonstrated successful functional recovery at 1-year follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for acute post-traumatic subtalar arthrodesis and percutaneous ORIF reduces the risk of wound complications associated with traditional open approaches.
• This technique facilitates fracture alignment maintenance during joint preparation.
• The approach resulted in successful radiological healing and functional recovery at 1-year follow-up.