Surgical Technique for Management of Severe Calcaneofibular Impingement: Case Series

BACKGROUND: Calcaneofibular impingement is characterized by lateral hindfoot pain and is commonly resulting from calcaneal fracture malunion or severe flatfoot deformity. Lateral calcaneal wall decompression has been used successfully to relieve pain in patients who have calcaneofibular impingement. However, in cases of severe impingement and hindfoot valgus, lateral wall excision may leave only a small remnant of calcaneal bone for weightbearing and can lead to chronic heel pain. We describe a surgical technique using a medial displacement calcaneal osteotomy (MDCO) combined with a lateral wall exostectomy and report on the outcomes from our series of patients. METHODS: Retrospective study of a single surgeon’s patients was done from 2010 to 2020 who underwent medial slide calcaneal osteotomy and lateral wall exostectomy for calcaneofibular impingement. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patient characteristics. Our study included 9 patients, 6 females and 3 males, with a mean age of 59 years (range: 19-77) and a mean follow-up of 62 weeks (range: 6-184). RESULTS: Five had an Achilles split approach, 2 had an oblique lateral approach, and 1 had an extensile lateral approach. Patients achieved radiographic relief of impingement and improvement in pain. Minor skin and soft tissue complications occurred in 3 patients, all of which were associated with laterally based incisions, and all resolved after a 10-day course of oral antibiotics. No major complications, emergency department visits, or readmissions occurred. CONCLUSIONS: MDCO and lateral wall exostectomy was a safe and effective treatment for severe calcaneofibular impingement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.