Joint preserving procedures for painful plantar callosities in patients with flexible cavovarus foot

Abstract

Background: The outcome of a constant joint preserving procedure for painful plantar callosities with cavovarus foot remains unclear.

Methods: Eleven patients (11 feet) who underwent lateral displacement calcaneal osteotomy (LDCO), dorsiflexion first metatarsal osteotomy (DFMO), and plantar fasciotomy (PF), simultaneously were included. The presence of painful callosities, heel alignment of standing (HA), and the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot ankle/hindfoot (JSSF) score were evaluated. Radiographically, the talonavicular coverage angle (TNCA), lateral talo-first metatarsal angle (LTMA), calcaneal pitch angle (CPA), and heel alignment angle (HAA) were measured.

Results: Postoperatively, painful plantar callosities disappeared in 10 patients and remained in one patient. The postoperative HA and JSSF score significantly improved. The postoperative TNCA, LTMA, CPA, and HAA significantly improved.

Conclusions: In patients with flexible cavovarus foot, LDCO, DFMO, and PF yielded good outcomes at mid-term follow-up with preservation of the foot and ankle joints.

Keywords: Flexible cavovarus foot; Joint preserving procedure.