Department of Orthopaedic Surgery research fellow Logan Reed alongside Associate Professors Dr. Michael Johnson and Dr. Clay Spitler, published a study focusing on complication rates in calcaneus fractures between patients of various ages using the sinus tarsi (ST) approach.

The study was published in early August in Foot and Ankle Orthopaedics and is titled “Complication Rates Are Similar Between Patients Aged <50 and >50 Years in Calcaneus Fractures Treated with the Sinus Tarsi Approach.”

Being the most common tarsal bone injury, calcaneus treatment has continued to be controversial largely due to surgical methods.

Recent studies have called into question previous research suggesting patients over 50 years are more susceptible to suffer from poor results, thus recommending no involvement of medical operations for calcaneal fractures.     

Authors of the study reviewed patients undergoing open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) using the minimally invasive ST approach. With a total of 196 calcaneus fractures, 114 in patients under 50 and 82 fractures in those over 50, they found that wound dehiscence and infection rates remained similar regardless of age.

To read more about the study and its methods, click here.