A calcaneal fracture is the fracture of the Calcaneus bone, commonly known as the heel bone which is one of the 26 bones of the foot. It is the largest of the tarsal bones in the foot. It lies at the back of the foot below the three bones that make up the ankle joint.
It is an uncommon fracture but can be a painful and disabling injury.
This type of injury takes place during a high-energy event, damaging the articular cartilage that covers the joint, causing long-term complications such as chronic pain, arthritis, and loss of motion. The heel can widen, shorten, and become deformed if this happens.
How does one end up with a heel bone fracture?
Most commonly people fracture their heel bone because of a fall from height, twisting injury to the ankle or a Motor vehicle collision. The severity of a fracture varies; a simple twist of the ankle may result in a single crack in the bone and the force of a head-on car collision may result in the bone being shattered (comminuted fracture).
How do you know it is a calcaneal fracture?
Patients with calcaneus fractures usually experience severe pain, bruising, swelling, heel deformity, inability to put weight on the heel or walk. Minor calcaneus fractures might not restrict you from walking — but you may limp.
How is it Treated?
Treatment of such fractures often involves surgery to reconstruct the normal anatomy of the heel and restore mobility. The course of your treatment is determined keeping in mind certain factors like
- The cause of your injury
- Your overall health
- The severity of your injury
- The extent of soft tissue damage.
If the bones have shifted out of place (displaced), a surgery may be recommended. There are two kinds of surgeries that can fix the fracture.
- Percutaneous screw fixation: When the broken pieces of the bone are large, they can be moved back into place without making a large incision. There are special screws that are then inserted through small incisions to hold the fracture together.
- Open reduction and internal fixation: For this procedure, an open incision is made to reposition (reduce) the displaced bones into their normal alignment, they are then held together with wires or metal plates and screws.
However, there are non surgical treatments for cases where pieces of broken bone have not been displaced by the force of the injury. The ankle and heel are immobilised by a cast, splint, or brace which holds the bones in the foot in proper position while they heal.
The cast stays for 6 to 8 weeks — or even possibly longer. Nonsurgical treatment of some fractures can also lead to long-term complications, such as pain, arthritis, and a limp. We at Sri Sri Holistic Hospitals, will review the details of your injury and talk with you about the risks and benefits of surgical versus nonsurgical treatment.
About The Doctor:
Dr. Venkat Ram Prasad Vallamshetla – Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. Venkat Ram Prasad Vallamshetla is one of the Best Orthopedic Surgeon in Hyderabad. He has done his MBBS, MS Ortho (OSM), MRCS (Edin) and FRCS (Trauma & Orth) from Edinburgh. He has additionally undergone training and has worked in Birmingham for over 12 years with a specialization in Joint Replacement, arthroscopic surgery, sports injuries.
About the hospital
The Orthopedic Department at Holistic Hospital has some of the most advanced equipment and performs highly specialized surgeries like Total Knee and Total Hip Replacement. Aided by top of the line Operation Theatre’s with laminar airflow, this division works in tandem with the highly focused and supportive division of Physiotherapy.
Sri Sri Holistic Hospital is a leading 100 bedded Multi Specialty Hospital in Nizampet, Kukatpally, Hyderabad one of the Best Heart Hospitals in Hyderabad. Sri Sri Holistic Hospital provides high standards of Healthcare with combination of Advanced Technology and state of art clinical expertise. With more than 52Internationally Experienced Doctors and 400+ staff, we served at least 50,000 patients so far.
