[Dislocated intra-articular calcaneus fractures. Long-term follow-up after open reposition and osteosynthesis]

A series of 98 patients with a total of 105 intra-articular fractures of the os calcis were operated on during a 10-year period between 1983 and 1992. We were able to follow up 60 patients with 64 fractures an average of 44 months (range, 18-105 months) postoperatively. At the time of follow up, 83.9% of patients had been back to work, 78.6% with the same employer as before. Five of the patients followed up had had to retire from work; each of these had one or more severe coexisting injuries. A compromising nerve injury occurred postoperatively in 3 out of 58 patients with closed fractures, in all cases following surgery with a medial or bilateral approach. In only 1 of the 58 patients followed up after closed fractures did a deep infection requiring arthrodesis occur. One patient had sympathetic reflex dystrophy (Sudeck). A good functional result in the lower ankle joint correlated with a good outcome. In contrast, postoperative improvement of the tuber angle and the degree of arthrosis seen radiographically did not. We conclude that operative repair of intraarticular calcaneal fractures is a procedure that can safely be procedure used to restore the ability to work in the majority of patients. The medial approach should preferably not be used, nor should the metal be extracted from the medial approach if this can be avoided.