Abstract

• PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the usefulness of lateral approach for accurate reduction and rigid internal fixation in comminuted intra-articular fractures of calcaneus. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Twenty patients(21 cases) who had intra-articular fracture of calcaneus and underwent an open reduction and internal fixation using lateral approach were enrolled. Using Essex-Lopresti classification, all cases were intra-articular fracture, which joint depression type was 17 cases and 4 of severe comminuted tongue type. We compared the preoperative and postoperative change of B o h l e r 's angle and clinical results were analyzed using Paley and Halls evaluation protocol and scoring system. RESULTS: The average B ohler 's angle was restored from 2.8 to 25.1 after operations and clinical results classified 4 well, 12 good, 4 fair, 1 poor cases. Postoperative complications were 2 cases of wound dehiscence, 1 of infection and one had sural nerve injury. Late complications included 3 cases of limitation of motion of ankle that disturb usual activity, 3 of sustained pain and 2 of traumatic arthritis and 2 cases had 2 complications at the same patients. CONCLUSION: The lateral approach is valuable for the comminuted intra-articular fractures of calcaneus that enables accurate anatomical reduction and rigid internal fixation by providing direct exposure of subtalar joint, and also with little morbidity of neurovascular injury.
• Key words: Calcaneus, Intra-articular fracture, Lateral approach

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