Abstract
Calcaneal fractures in children are quite rare. We report the treatment of a calcaneal fracture in a child at our hospital. The patient, a 9-year-old boy, jumped from a height of 2.5m height and suffered right heel pain. X-ray and CT examinations revealed a calcaneal fracture, showing a tongue-type fracture pattern by the former modality and Sanders type 2B by the latter. Bohler's angle was 32°, and joint displacement was 5 mm. We attempted manual reduction under general anesthesia 4 days after injury, but the displacement could not be corrected. Therefore we employed the Westhues method. Bohler's angle was thus reduced to 40°, and the joint displacement to 1 mm. The fracture became united after 12 weeks, which included splint application for 4 weeks and non-weight-bearing for 4 weeks. Fractures of the calcaneus are rare in children, with an incidence of only 1 in 100,000 fractures, and are traditionally treated non-operatively. There is some debate regarding the patient age and the degree of displacement that would necessitate more aggressive treatment.
