A Comparative Study of Two Different Techniques for Calcaneal Displacement Osteotomy

Category: Hindfoot Introduction/Purpose: The lateral oblique incision is widely used for calcaneal displacement osteotomy in correction of hindfoot deformities. Wound healing problems and neurovascular injury are limitations of this procedure. A technique using a Shannon burr for calcaneal displacement osteotomy was introduced to avoid these complications. The advantages of the percutaneos calcaneus osteotomy have been evaluated in a comperative study. Methods: Lateral oblique incision for calcaneus osteotomy was performed in 58 patients. The senior author changed the osteotomy technique 2014. Further 64 calcaneus osteotomies were performed percutaneously. The main indication for the calcaneus osteotomy was correction of hindfoot deformities. Complementary the number of screws used for the fixation have been axamined in the study. Results: The mean age of the patients was 51,6 (14-72) years. The patients were folled up for 12 months. All cases achieved radiographic union. Wound healing problems have been registrated in the open technique group in 16 patients (27,6%). Six of them (10,3%) required a surgical revision. No wound healing problems appeared in the percutaneous group. N. suralis was affected in the open technique group in 12 patients (20,6%) and in 4 patients (6,2%) in the percutaneous osteotomy group (p 0,02). The operating time was significantly shorter in the percutaneus osteotomy group. The correction of the hindfoot axis succeed in all patients. Risk of complication did not differ significantly between single and double screw in the percutaneous osteotomy group. Conclusion: The clinical and radiological examinations showed outstanding results. There is no evident difference between the two techniques in the radiological results. Use of a single screw in percutaneous osteotomy of the calcaneus did not increased the complication rate. The percutaneous calcaneal osteotomy had a lower complication rate in our study and is probably a useful technique in patients with diabetes and affected perfusion. Further randomised studies should consider this results.