Results and observations in operative treatment of displaced intra- articular calcaneal fractures with use of Calcanail®

Introduction. Since the introduction of the Calcanail® in 2011 more and more surgeons have been treating calcaneal fractures with use of this method. It is mainly because of its safety concerning wound healing and final outcomes comparable to ORIF. This paper is to show the intraoperative problems the surgeon may encounter beginning with this method as well as final results in comparison to more experienced operators and other methods. Material and methods. Study of eleven displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures operated between November 2015 and April 2018 with the use of the Calcanail®. All patients were evaluated with use of the AOFAS Hindfoot score. Pain, shoe fit and look of the foot were evaluated in 11 pointVAS scale. Böhler’s angle was measured before, after operation and in 3 and 6 month-time. All intra and post-operative complications were carefully noted. Results. Average AOFAS Hindfoot score was 79.75. VAS pain 2.0, shoe fit 1.5, look of the foot 1.25. Average Böhler’s angle restoration was 17.77 with no significant decrease with time. No intraor post-operative complications were observed. Patients with less comminuted fractures and better reduction got better final results. Conclusions. Treatment of displaced calcaneal fractures with the Calcanail® is a safe and good alternative for other procedures. Restoration of articular surface is on one hand the most difficult stage of the procedure and on the other a key to a good final outcome.