Simultaneous bilateral surgery for accessory naviculars does not have a negative effect on postoperative outcome

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Podiatric Medicine
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Accessory navicular bone, particularly type II, frequently occurs bilaterally.
• Unilateral surgical correction is more common than simultaneous bilateral surgery, despite bilateral presentation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare clinical outcomes between unilateral and simultaneous bilateral surgical resection of type II symptomatic accessory navicular.
• To evaluate the impact of surgical approach on recovery timelines and patient-reported outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 26 patients (42 feet) undergoing accessory navicular resection between 2018-2022.
• Patients divided into unilateral (Uni) and bilateral (Bi) surgery groups.
• Comparison of time to walking, jogging, return to athletics, and postoperative SAFE-Q scores; age-stratified analysis performed.

Main Results:

• No significant differences found between Uni and Bi groups in time to walking, jogging, or full athletic activity.
• Postoperative SAFE-Q scores showed no statistically significant differences between the surgical groups.
• Age-stratified analysis (cutoffs at 16, 15, and 19 years) revealed no significant differences between unilateral and bilateral surgery outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Simultaneous bilateral surgery for type II symptomatic accessory navicular does not appear to delay recovery compared to unilateral surgery.
• Bilateral simultaneous surgery may be considered without hesitation, regardless of patient age.
• Further research could explore long-term outcomes and patient satisfaction across different surgical approaches.