Combined medial and lateral approach for the treatment of calcaneal fractures with sustentaculum tali fracture and/or dislocation of sustentaculum tali-talus joint / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the clinical effects of combined medial and lateral approaches in treating of calcaneal fractures combined with sustentaculum tali fractures and/or dislocations of sustentaculum tali-talus joint.Methods:Four adult cadaver specimens (8 feet) were selected, of which two (4 feet) were dissected on the medial side of the calcaneus to observe the adjacency and exposure range of sustentaculum tali. The other two specimens were simulated as medial and lateral approaches to reduce and fix calcaneal fractures. Retrospective analysis of 9 cases (9 feet) of Sanders II-IV type calcaneal fractures with combined medial and lateral approaches in the treatment of fractures and/or dislocations of sustentaculum tali-talus joint was performed. The average age was 49.9±11.3 (25-58) years. During the operation, the medial incision was made first, and the sustentaculum tali fracture was temporarily reduced and fixed to the talus. Then the lateral incision was made to expose the lateral side of the calcaneus, and the fracture fragments were reduced and fixed; the sustentaculum tali was fixed laterally with screws, and 2 cases were additionally fixed medially with absorbable rods. At the same time, six cases (8 feet) of calcaneal fractures with sustentaculum tali fractures and/or dislocations of sustentaculum tali-talus were treated with lateral approach as a control group. The lateral sides of both groups were fixed with calcaneal locking plate and implanted with demineralized bone matrix into the cavity after articular surface reduction. The B?hler and Gissane angles of the two groups of patients were measured at 1 year after operation. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scoring system was used to evaluate the clinical efficacy.Results:The sustentaculum tali-talus joint had a shape of an inverted "V" with two divided parts. The tip of the sustentaculum tali was exposed through the front window of the posterior tibial tendon. The sustentaculum tali and the medial side of the calcaneal body was completely exposed and fixed through the window between the posterior tibial tendon and the flexor digitorum longus tendon. The postoperative incision blood loss in the combined medial and lateral approach group was 73.6±4.3 ml, which was greater than that in the lateral approach group (70.6±7.1 ml) ( t=2.18, P=0.045). The lateral incision healed in both groups. The medial incision healed delayed in 1 patient in the combined medial and lateral approach group. The fractures in the combined medial-lateral approach group and the lateral approach group were both healed. The healing duration was 12.2±2.1 weeks and 12.8±2.8 weeks, respectively, without significant difference ( t=0.50, P=0.622). The B?hler angles of the combined medial-lateral approach group and the lateral approach group were 37.0°±5.7° and 27.9°±4.0° at 1 year after operation, respectively. These values were greater than the preoperative values of 4.7°±3.4° and 3.9°±2.9° ( P<0.05), with significant difference between groups ( t=3.76, P=0.002). The Gissane angles were 133.2°±9.8° and 139.1°±9.4° respectively, which were lower than those of 172°±7.3° and 175.6°±5.6° before operation ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups ( t=1.26, P=0.226). The AOFAS score of the combined medial and lateral approach group was 93.6±4.0 points, which was higher than that of the lateral approach group (84.3±8.2 points) ( t=3.03, P=0.008). Conclusion:Intra-articular calcaneal fractures combined with a high probability of sustentaculum tali fractures and/or dislocations of sustentaculum tali-talus joint. Compared with the simple lateral approach, the use of the combined medial-lateral approach and the medial-lateral surgical sequence is beneficial to restore the calcaneal alignment and anatomic shape, especially the alignment relationship of the medial calcaneus and talus, so as to obstain better early clinical outcomes.