Jornal de Trauma e Tratamento

A Case of Bilateral Calcaneal Fracture, Following Fall from 35 Feet

Abstract

Purushothama Sastry, Sujana Theja JS, Supreeth N and Arjun Markanday

Introduction: Called Lover’s Fractures, the calcaneus commonly fractures due to fall from height. The calcaneus is the most frequently fractured tarsal bone. Tarsal bone fractures account for about 2% of all adult fractures. Of these, 60% are calcaneus fractures.The heel bone is often injured in a high-energy collision where other parts of the skeleton are also injured. In up to 10% of cases, the patient can also sustain a fracture of the spine, hip, or the other calcaneus. Injuries to the calcaneus often damage the subtalar joint and cause the joint to become stiff. This makes it difficult to walk on uneven ground or slanted surfaces. Case Report: A 24 year old male, working as a lift operator presented to the casualty of the hospital after the elevator broke down and came down in a free fall from about a height of 4 stories (35 feet). He presented along with the other occupants of the lift who also sustained calcaneal fractures.The case on arrival was subjected to ATLS protocol and through radiologic work up was done. Following a period of 12 days post trauma he was operated for bilateral calcaneal fractures and discharged 10 days post operatively. Conclusion: Calcaneal fractures continue to tread the fine line between operative and conservative management. In a young individual an operative management is likely to give a better outcome as the associated soft tissue problems, commonly encountered, yield a better outcome and faster healing rates.Used of closed reduction further helps alleviate the need to worry about wound healing