| Calcaneal fracture | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Heel bone fracture,[1] lover's fracture, Don Juan fracture |
 | |
| X-ray of a fractured calcaneus | |
| Specialty | Orthopedics, emergency medicine |
| Symptoms | Pain, bruising, trouble walking, deformity of the heel[1] |
| Complications | Arthritis, decreased range of motion of the foot[1] |
| Causes | Landing on the feet following a fall from a height, motor vehicle collision[2][1] |
| Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms, X-rays, CT scan[1] |
| Treatment | Casting, surgery[1] |
| Medication | NSAIDs, opioids[1] |
| Prognosis | 3 month to 2 year recovery[1] |
| Frequency | ~2% of fractures[2] |
A calcaneal fracture is a break of the calcaneus (heel bone).[1] Symptoms may include pain, bruising, trouble walking, and deformity of the heel.[1] It may be associated with breaks of the hip or back.[1]
It usually occurs when a person lands on their feet following a fall from a height or during a motor vehicle collision.[2][1] Diagnosis is suspected based on symptoms and confirmed by X-rays or CT scanning.[1]
If the bones remain normally aligned treatment may be by casting without weight bearing for around eights weeks.[1] If the bones are not properly aligned surgery is generally required.[1] Returning the bones to their normal position results in better outcomes.[2] Surgery may be delayed a few days as long as the skin remained intact.[1]
About 2% of all fractures are calcaneal fractures.[2] However, they make up 60% of fractures of the mid foot bones.[2] Undisplaced fractures may heal in around three months while more significant fractures can take two years.[1] Difficulties such as arthritis and decreased range of motion of the foot may remain.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Calcaneus (Heel Bone) Fractures-OrthoInfo - AAOS". orthoinfo.aaos.org. January 2016. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Palmersheim, K; Hines, B; Olsen, BL (April 2012). "Calcaneal fractures: update on current treatments". Clinics in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery. 29 (2): 205–20, vii. doi:10.1016/j.cpm.2012.01.007. PMID 22424485.