Limited internal fixation combined with a joint-spanning external fixator in the treatment of Midfoot injuries in children

The aim of this study was to explore the clinical features and surgical treatment methods of unstable midfoot injuries in children. Eleven children with severe unstable midfoot injuries admitted to Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, from June 2009 to October 2016 were enrolled, including seven patients with Lisfranc injuries and four patients with Chopart injuries. All Lisfranc injuries had radiographic data from the healthy sides, and radiographs of the affected sides showed that all injured Lisfranc joints separated more than 3 mm compared with the healthy sides. The treatment methods employed a joint-spanning external fixator to distract and maintain the length of the medial and lateral columns, combined with joint-preserving trans-joint locking plate fixation or trans-articular cannulated screw and Kirschner wire fixation that passed through the joint. The patients were followed up for 53.7 months (17–110 months). The average operation time was 95.1 minutes, and the average intraoperative blood loss was 83.3 ml. Nine of the 11 patients were treated with an external fixator to distract and fix the medial or lateral column. Bone healing was achieved in all patients, and none of the patients complained of chronic pain in the midfoot. Flatfoot and valgus deformity were corrected after the surgery in the child with old fracture, and the pain in the calcaneocuboid joint disappeared. The average American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society mid-foot score at the last follow-up was 93.4...
Source: Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics B - Category: Orthopaedics Tags: Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery in China Special Issue Source Type: research