Reduction Techniques for Calcaneus Fractures-Using a Femoral Distractor
Jonathan C Arnold1,2, Elliott Druten1,2, Taylor Landis1,2
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN; and.
Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma
|July 17, 2026
Abstract
Summary:
Displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures disrupt hindfoot alignment and are associated with long-term morbidity. Although minimally invasive approaches reduce wound-related complications, they can limit reduction of a displaced calcaneal tuberosity. This report describes a 29-year-old man with a displaced intra-articular calcaneal fracture treated using a laterally applied femoral distractor to facilitate correction of coronal, sagittal, and axial malalignment while limiting soft-tissue disruption.


