Validity of percutaneous external fixator for calcaneal fractures to allow early weight bearing

Abstract

Calcaneum, the most common tarsal bone to fracture affecting manual labourers who were sole breadwinners of the family. Generally treated with below knee pop and ORIF, commonly associated with complications and delayed weight bearing. This study analyses functional outcome of early weight bearing with minimally invasive skeletal stabilisation of calcaneal fractures.This study was conducted at Institute of orthopaedics and traumatology, Coimbatore medical college and Meenakshi medical college hospital and research institute, Kanchipuram between July 2019 to October 2021. 15 patients in age group 20-65 years with 19 calcaneal fractures less than 4 weeks duration are included in study.Surgery averaged 1.6 days after injury. Full weight-bearing was achieved in 11.7 days for unilateral calcaneal fractures (range 9 to 15 days) and 43.5 days for bilateral fractures (40 to 49 days). Patients returned to work in 35.6 days on average (range 24 to 52 days). All 19 calcaneal fractures healed in 52.63 days. External fixator removal averaged 56.57 days. Two patients had postoperative pin site infections. No bones were infected. Six-month AOFAS scores averaged 86.15.In our study calcaneal fractures are fixed with mini external fixator percutaneously and it can be used in presence of compound fractures and with skin blisters. Though anatomical reduction cannot be attained completely weight bearing is possible from 2nd day after surgery and full weight bearing was possible in 2nd week. The limitations of our study include a smaller number of cases. A large multi-centric study may be necessary to confirm our results.