J Korean Foot Ankle Soc.  2010 Dec;14(2):151-156.

Operative Treatment of Tongue Type Intra-articular Calcaneal Fractures: Comparison of the Open Reduction and Essex-Lopresti Technique

• Shin DE
• Yoon HK
• Han SH
• Choi WJ
• Ahn CS
• Ok HS

Abstract

PURPOSE
To analyze the clinical and radiological results of operative treatment in patients with tongue type intra-articular calcaneal fracture, and to compare the open reduction and Essex-Lopresti technique.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We examined a consecutive series of 42 patients who received surgical treatment for tongue type calcaneal fracture (24 cases of the open reduction and 18 cases of the Essex-Lopresti technique) and the postoperative data was compared with a minimum 1 year follow-up. The clinical outcome was analyzed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot scale and Salama's criteria. The preoperative, postoperative, and last follow-up changes in the Bohler angle was radiologically analyzed.
RESULTS
There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the clinical and radiological results at the last follow-up. However, for the Sander's type 3 and 4 fractures, the open reduction group showed more improvement of AOFAS score and less reduction loss in the Bohler angle.
CONCLUSION
Although the clinical results were good irrespective of surgical technique, the open reduction and internal fixation can improve clinical outcome and reduce the reduction loss as compared with the Essex-Lopresti technique in the comminuted tongue type calcaneal fracture.

Keyword

Calcaneus; Tongue type fracture; Open reduction; Essex-Lopresti technique

MeSH Terms

Animals
Ankle
Calcaneus
Follow-Up Studies
Foot
Humans
Tongue