Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35247058›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society2022

Percutaneous subtalar joint screw fixation of comminuted calcaneal fractures: a salvage procedure.

Catherine Malik, Ali Asgar Najefi, Amit Patel, Alexandros Vris, Francesc Malagelada, Lee Parker, Nima Heidari, Lucky Jeyaseelan

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Article in European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Restoration of calcaneal anatomy and physiologic function after fracture: the importance of tuber length.OTA international : the open access journal of orthopaedic trauma · 2025
    Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Catherine MalikRoyal London Hospital, Barts Bone & Joint Health, Barts Health NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London, E1 1FR, UK. Catherine.malik@nhs.net.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9008-4468
Ali Asgar NajefiRoyal London Hospital, Barts Bone & Joint Health, Barts Health NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London, E1 1FR, UK.
Amit PatelRoyal London Hospital, Barts Bone & Joint Health, Barts Health NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London, E1 1FR, UK.
Alexandros VrisRoyal London Hospital, Barts Bone & Joint Health, Barts Health NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London, E1 1FR, UK.
Francesc MalageladaRoyal London Hospital, Barts Bone & Joint Health, Barts Health NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London, E1 1FR, UK.
Lee ParkerRoyal London Hospital, Barts Bone & Joint Health, Barts Health NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London, E1 1FR, UK.
Nima HeidariRoyal London Hospital, Barts Bone & Joint Health, Barts Health NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London, E1 1FR, UK.
Lucky JeyaseelanRoyal London Hospital, Barts Bone & Joint Health, Barts Health NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London, E1 1FR, UK.
Barts Health NHS Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMalunited comminuted calcaneal fractures result in poor function due subtalar joint arthritis and altered biomechanics. We aimed to assess whether percutaneous subtalar joint screws after fracture reduction provide good outcomes for these difficult injuries.

methodsWe retrospectively analysed 15 comminuted calcaneal fractures (in 14 patients) treated with percutaneous subtalar screw fixation. All patients had a minimum of 12 months' follow-up. Six patients had open injuries. On the preoperative and the latest postoperative radiograph, Bohlers angle, Gissane angle, calcaneal inclination, width and length, absolute foot height, and posterior facet height were measured. Preoperative computed tomography scans were used to classify the fractures by Sanders classification. Clinical outcome scores were recorded postoperatively.

resultsMean age was 34.2 ± 14.2 years. Minimum follow-up was 12 months (mean 17.2 ± 4.4 months). Nine patients had a Sanders 4, 3 had a Sanders 3AB, 2 had a Sanders 3BC, and 1 had a Sanders 3AC fracture. Eighty percent of patients had their angle of Gissane, absolute foot height, calcaneal length and inclination restored by this technique. Bohlers angle was restored back into the normal range in 54% of patients. Mean postoperative AOFAS score was 74 ± 11. AOFAS scores positively correlated with postoperative Bohlers angle (Pearson's correlation coefficient 0.85; p = 0.004). One patient (7%) had a wound breakdown postoperatively and three patients (20%) had heel pain from the screws, which improved after removal.

conclusionPercutaneous subtalar screws offer a reliable option to restore calcaneal anatomy in comminuted calcaneal fractures, with low complication rates. Over 80% of patients had their angle of Gissane, calcaneal length and inclination restored, and over 50% of patients had all radiological parameters restored by this technique. It offers the benefits of percutaneous reduction and fixation and this procedure may be considered an effective first stage prior to definitive subtalar fusion. Further work is needed to review the longer-term outcomes and the conversion rate to arthrodesis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV (case series), Therapeutic.

Indexed as

Ankle InjuriesCalcaneusFoot InjuriesFractures, BoneFractures, ComminutedKnee InjuriesSubtalar JointAdultBone ScrewsFracture Fixation, InternalHumansMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultCalcaneal fractureMinimally invasiveOperative techniqueSalvageSubtalar

Identifiers

PMID35247058
OpenAlexW4221085393

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.