Gastrocnemius Recession as an Alternative to Midfoot Arthrodesis for Painful Midfoot Arthritis

Arthrodesis has been described as the gold standard of treatment for midfoot degenerative joint disease (DJD) but has also been associated with nonunion, increased tourniquet times, technical difficulty, and a long postoperative non-weightbearing period. Although it is postulated that a contracted gastrocnemius may cause midfoot pain, there are no reports of using the procedure as a primary treatment for midfoot DJD. The purpose of this study was to determine whether gastrocnemius recession resolved midfoot pain from osteoarthritis and eliminated the need for midfoot arthrodesis.
Source: Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery - Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Tags: Case Reports and Series Source Type: research