Medial Subtalar Joint Dislocation in an 18-Year-Old Athlete with Pes Planus: Beyond A Simple Misstep

Subtalar joint dislocations are rare clinical entities characterized by concurrent dislocations of the talonavicular and talocalcaneal joints. Most commonly, they occur as medial or lateral dislocations, with relatively good outcomes expected for medial dislocations and a worse prognosis for lateral dislocations.

An 18-year-old athlete presented with pain and deformity in his left foot following a history of inversion and internal rotation twist injury while playing basketball. After initial evaluation in the casualty, he was taken up for closed reduction with Kirschner-wire stabilization under anesthesia within 2 h of the injury and further immobilized with a posterior splint.

This case highlights the importance of identifying the mode of injury and of neutralizing any residual instability following the reduction procedure with supportive immobilization with or without internal fixation and splintage as early as possible.