Aims. Identifying predictors of compartment syndrome in the foot after a fracture of the calcaneus may lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment. The aim of our study was to identify any such predictors. Patients and Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 303 patients (313 fractures) with a fracture of the calcaneus who presented to us between October 2008 and September 2016. The presence of compartment syndrome and potential predictors were identified by reviewing their medical records. Potential predictors included age, gender, concomitant foot injury, mechanism of injury, fracture classification, time from injury to admission, underlying illness, use of anticoagulant/antiplatelet agents, smoking status and occupation. Associations with predictors were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Results. Of the 313 fractures of the calcaneus, 12 (3.8%) developed a compartment syndrome. A Sanders type IV fracture was the only strongly associated factor (odds ratio 21.67, p = 0.007). Other variables did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion. A Sanders type IV fracture is the best predictor of compartment syndrome after a fracture of the calcaneus. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:303–8

We describe 24 fractures of the tuberosity of the calcaneus in 22 patients. Three were similar to the type of avulsion fracture which has been well-defined but the remainder represent a group which has been unrecognised previously. Using CT and operative findings we have defined the different patterns of fracture of the calcaneal tuberosity. Ten fractures extended into the subtalar joint, but did not fit the pattern of the common intra-articular fracture as described classically. We have defined a new pattern which consists of a fracture of the medial calcaneal process with a further fracture which separates the upper part of the tuberosity in the semicoronal plane. Non-operative treatment of displaced fractures resulted in a mis-shapen heel and a poor functional outcome. Open reduction and internal fixation with either a plate or compression screw did not give satisfactory fixation. We prefer to use an oblique lateral tension-band wire. This technique gave excellent fixation and we recommend it for the treatment of displaced fractures of the tuberosity of the calcaneus

In cases of established calcaneus after anterior poliomyelitis the deformity can be greatly reduced by combining an extensive plantar release with an oblique transverse osteotomy of the calcaneus that permits displacement upwards and backwards of the posterior weight-bearing part of the bone. The procedure greatly improves the mechanical advantage of subsequent tendon transplantations to the heel. Between 1956 and 1969 fifteen such osteotomies were carried out and the long-term results have been reviewed

Aims. We report the long-term outcomes of the UK Heel Fracture Trial (HeFT), a pragmatic, multicentre, two-arm, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Methods. HeFT recruited 151 patients aged over 16 years with closed displaced, intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus. Patients with significant deformity causing fibular impingement, peripheral vascular disease, or other significant limb injuries were excluded. Participants were randomly allocated to open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) or nonoperative treatment. We report Kerr-Atkins scores, self-reported difficulty walking and fitting shoes, and additional surgical procedures at 36, 48, and 60 months. Results. Overall, 60-month outcome data were available for 118 patients (78%; 52 ORIF, 66 nonoperative). After 60 months, mean Kerr-Atkins scores were 79.2 (SD 21.5) for ORIF and 76.4 (SD 22.5) for nonoperative. Mixed effects regression analysis gave an estimated effect size of -0.14 points (95% confidence interval -8.87 to 8.59; p = 0.975) in favour of ORIF. There were no between group differences in difficulty walking (p = 0.175), or on the type of shoes worn (p = 0.432) at 60 months. Additional surgical procedures were conducted on ten participants allocated ORIF, compared to four in the nonoperative group (p = 0.043). Conclusion. ORIF of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures, not causing fibular impingement, showed no difference in outcomes at 60 months compared to nonoperative treatment, but with an increased risk of additional surgery. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(6):1040–1046

In paralytic lesions in which the triceps surae is the only active muscle in the leg, elongation or division of the tendo calcaneus alone may not be enough to prevent recurrence of equinus deformity. In 10 patients (13 limbs) with this pattern of muscle activity, equinus deformity was treated by hemitransplantation of the tendo calcaneus. At follow-up, which was beyond the end of growth in seven limbs, there was no recurrence of deformity in nine. In three of the four failures, a technical fault may have caused loss of activity in the transplanted part of the tendon. The two-stage operation described is recommended in the management of this pattern of paralytic deformity

Sixty-nine heels in 42 patients with prominence of the calcaneus sufficient to cause symptoms were operated upon after conservative treatment had failed. At review the overall results of operation were found to be poor

Aims. No randomized comparative study has compared the extensile lateral approach (ELA) and sinus tarsi approach (STA) for Sanders type 2 calcaneal fractures. This randomized comparative study was conducted to confirm whether the STA was prone to fewer wound complications than the ELA. Methods. Between August 2013 and August 2018, 64 patients with Sanders type 2 calcaneus fractures were randomly assigned to receive surgical treatment by the ELA (32 patients) and STA (32 patients). The primary outcome was development of wound complications. The secondary outcomes were postoperative complications, pain scored of a visual analogue scale (VAS), American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, 36-item Short Form health survey, operative duration, subtalar joint range of motion (ROM), Böhler’s angle and calcaneal width, and posterior facet reduction. Results. Although four patients (12.5%) in the ELA groups and none in the STA group experienced complications, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.113). VAS and AOFAS score were significantly better in the STA group than in the ELA group at six months (p = 0.017 and p = 0.021), but not at 12 months (p = 0.096 and p = 0.200) after surgery. The operation time was significantly shorter in the STA group than in the ELA group (p < 0.001). The subtalar joint ROM was significantly better in the STA group (p = 0.015). Assessment of the amount of postoperative reduction compared with the uninjured limb showed significant restoration of calcaneal width in the ELA group compared with that in the STA group (p < 0.001). Conclusion. The ELA group showed higher frequency of wound complications than the STA group for Sanders type 2 calcaneal fractures even though this was not statistically significant. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(2):286–293

We describe three patients who developed gross calcaneus deformity following surgery for talipes equinovarus. One also had an associated valgus deformity and another had supination of the forefoot; all had intractable problems with footwear. Operation for transfer of the tibialis anterior to the heel, with correction of the associated deformities, was successful and improved both their gait and the shoe problems

A subjective, objective and radiographic study of 21 patients with comminuted calcaneal fractures showing severe involvement of the subtalar joint is reported. The average follow-up was 14.6 years (range 8 to 29 years). Only patients with unilateral closed fractures and no associated injuries to either lower limb were admitted to the study. All were treated by early active mobilisation of the ankle, and the subtalar and the midtarsal joints. Seventy-six per cent of the patients achieved a good result with minor symptoms which did not interfere with their occupation or leisure requirements. Although two-thirds of the patients reached a point of maximal recovery at two to three years, 24% continued to improve for six years. None of the patients experienced any deterioration after this time. Neither the degree of clinical stiffness nor the degeneration of the subtalar joint, assessed radiographically, correlated with the severity of symptoms or functional disability. The role of the soft tissues in the aetiology of residual symptoms is discussed.

We assessed the medium-term outcome of three methods of isolated calf lengthening in cerebral palsy by clinical examination, observational gait analysis and, where appropriate, instrumented gait analysis. The procedures used were percutaneous lengthening of tendo Achillis, open Z-lengthening of tendo Achillis and lengthening of the gastrosoleus aponeurosis (Baker’s procedure). We reviewed 195 procedures in 134 children; 45 had hemiplegia, 65 diplegia and 24 quadriplegia. We established the incidence of calcaneus and recurrent equinus and identified ‘at-risk’ groups for each. At follow-up, 42% had satisfactory calf length, 22% had recurrent equinus and 36% calcaneus. The incidence of calcaneus in girls at follow-up was significantly higher (p = 0.002) while boys had an increased rate of recurrent equinus (p = 0.012). Children with diplegia who had surgery when aged eight years or younger had a 44% risk of calcaneus, while those over eight years had a 19% risk (p = 0.046). Percutaneous lengthening of tendo Achillis in diplegia was the least predictable, only 38% having a satisfactory outcome compared with 50% in the other procedures. The incidence of recurrent equinus in hemiplegic patients was 38%. Only 4% developed calcaneus. The type of surgery did not influence the outcome in patients with hemiplegia or quadriplegia. Severity of involvement, female gender, age at operation of less than eight years and percutaneous lengthening of tendo Achillis were ‘risk factors’ for calcaneus. Hemiplegia, male gender, and an aponeurosis muscle lengthening increased the risk of recurrent equinus

1. Five cases of avulsion fracture of the calcaneus are reported. 2. The "beak" fracture of the calcaneus is thought to be a variant of the avulsion fracture and not a separate entity. 3. The variable attachment of the calcaneal tendon to the calcaneus is described, and its relationship to the different forms of avulsion fractures discussed. 4. Operative reduction and fixation are appropriate for young and active patients in order to restore full heel-cord function. 5. Attention is drawn to the risk of pressure necrosis of skin overlying a displaced fragment. Early operative correction may be required to prevent skin damage

In 12 infants aged under 16 months with unilateral club foot we used MRI in association with multiplanar reconstruction to calculate the volume and principal axes of inertia of the bone and cartilaginous structures of the hindfoot. The volume of these structures in the club foot is about 20% smaller than that in the normal foot. The reduction in volume of the ossification centre of the talus (40%) is greater than that of the calcaneus (20%). The long axes of both the ossification centre and the cartilaginous anlage of the calcaneus are identical in normal and club feet. The long axis of the osseous nucleus of the talus of normal and club feet is medially rotated relative to the cartilaginous anlage, but the angle is greater in club feet (10° v 14°). The cartilaginous structure of the calcaneus is significantly medially rotated in club feet (15°) relative to the bimalleolar axis. The cartilaginous anlage of the talus is medially rotated in both normal and club feet, but with a smaller angle for club feet (28° v 38°). This objective technique of measurement of the deformity may be of value preoperatively

In a consecutive series of 124 children with spina bifida we found that 220 (89%) of the 248 feet were deformed: 70 had a calcaneus deformity; 126 were in equinus; 16 were in valgus; 3 were in varus; and 5 had convex pes valgus. Operations were performed on 171 (78%) of the deformed feet. Spasticity of the muscles controlling the foot was detected in 36 (51%) of the 70 calcaneus feet and in 22 (17%) of the 126 equinus feet. The deformities were symmetrical in 94 children. There is a high incidence of foot deformity in patients with spina bifida who have no voluntary activity in the motors of the feet

1. Correction of equinus deformity in cerebral palsy either by elongation of the tendo calcaneus or by gastrocnemius recession gives satisfactory results without splintage or bracing after operation. 2. Gastrocnemius recession is the operation of choice in paraplegic spastic cerebral palsy, and wherever possible in tetraplegic cerebral palsy. In hemiplegia the whole of the triceps surae is usually involved, and elongation of the tendo calcaneus is almost always needed. 3. Correction at operation should aim to result in a mild degree of equinus deformity at the end of the growth period in hemiplegic spastic cerebral palsy. Over-enthusiastic gastrocnemius recession can lead to excessive weakness of the calf in some patients

1. The results of thirty-nine operations for correction of drop-foot in thirty-three patients with leprosy are discussed. 2. The procedure used was circumtibial, subcutaneous, two-tailed, tendon-to-tendon transfer of the tibialis posterior to extensor hallucis longus and to extensor digitorum longus and peroneus tertius. The motor slips were inserted into the recipient tendons on the dorsum of the foot. 3. Analysis of the results showed some correlation between the angle of active dorsiflexion and the range ofactive movement ofthe ankle. The angle ofdorsiflexion seemed to determine the range of movement. 4. When contracture of the tendo calcaneus was present, simultaneous lengthening improved the angle of dorsiflexion more than the range of active movement. 5. The causes of failure were sepsis, failure of re-education and unrecognised tightness of the tendo calcaneus. 6. The advantages of the present procedure are mentioned

1. Certain macroscopical and microscopical features of the tendo calcaneus of the rabbit are described and illustrated, and the vascularisation as revealed by Spalteholz clearing is presented. 2. The vessels of the epitenon are chiefly derived from proximal and distal sources. 3. The vessels of the paratenon are derived from the main arteries of the leg. 4. The two vascular systems are largely independent of each other except along one edge of the tendon by way of a mesotenon. 5. The paratenon, epitenon and mesotenon and the related vessels are comparable to those found in tendons with synovial sheaths. By inference and from evidence obtained by dissection on the living human subject it is suggested that the arrangements are similar in the human tendo calcaneus. 6. Considerable friction develops on movement between the surfaces of the paratenon and epitenon. This might be significant in pathological states of the human tendon

1. Rosette strain gauges placed on the lateral surface of the right calcaneus of eight sheep allowed recordings of bone deformation to be made during walking and trotting on a moving belt. From these recordings the changing direction and magnitude of the principal strains and the maximum shear strain could be calculated. 2. The cancellous architecture of the ovine calcaneus, when viewed in lateral radiographs, is arranged in two trabecular tracts which intersect in the form of an arch. in all cases during the main weight-bearing period the direction of the principal strains varied little, and at the time of maximum deformation coincided with the direction of the underlying trabeculae. The principal compressive strain coincided with the direction of the trabeculae in the dorsal tract, The principal tensile strain with those in the plantar tract. At the point of trabecular intersection the principal strains were more nearly equal but they maintained their alignment with their respective trabecular tracts. 3. in this particular site the trajectorial theory of bone structure has found some experimental support

Aims

Calcaneal osteomyelitis remains a difficult condition to treat with high rates of recurrence and below-knee amputation, particularly in the presence of severe soft-tissue destruction. This study assesses the outcomes of single-stage orthoplastic surgical treatment of calcaneal osteomyelitis with large soft-tissue defects.