A Staged Protocol for Treatment of High-Energy Tongue-Type Calcaneus Fractures: Surgical Technique and Case Series

Abstract

Summary Displaced tongue-type calcaneus fractures are frequently associated with severe soft tissue injuries, and urgent relief of the displaced tongue fragment on the posterior soft tissues is essential to preventing soft tissue complications. If there is a complex articular injury, the soft tissue envelope often needs time for swelling to resolve to allow for a safe open anatomic reduction because premature open reduction internal fixation is often associated with increased complications. We have found that in high-energy tongue-type calcaneus fractures with complex articular injuries, a staged protocol consisting of initial percutaneous reduction and fixation with later definitive reconstruction is soft tissue friendly, allows early restoration of calcaneal morphology, and affords extensile approaches for eventual reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to describe our protocol of staged treatment of high-energy tongue-type calcaneus fractures, along with postoperative surgical outcomes, in a case series of 53 patients. Our series of patients had a high rate of intra-articular injury with marked initial displacement (mean Bohler angle −8.4 ± 20.8 degrees). They were treated initially with percutaneous reduction and fixation at median 1 day postinjury (interquartile range [IQR] 0–1) and definitively at median 16 days postinjury (IQR 10–33). In this series, 2 of 53 (3.8%) patients developed a deep wound infection. In high-energy tongue-type calcaneus fractures at risk for soft tissue compromise or with a significantly displaced tongue fragment without initial soft tissue compromise, we found that staged management represents a feasible management strategy to mitigate risk of soft tissue complications and therefore helps facilitate safe definitive open treatment.