WOUND COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING SURGICAL TREATMET OF CLOSED INTRA-ARTICULAR CALCANEAL FRACTURES

Objectives: To find and analyse the incidence of wound complications following surgical treatment of closed inta-articular calcaneal fractures, identify and investigate the following as possible risk factors to be a causation of post-operative wound complications: (a) age of the patient; (b) sex of the patient; (c) smoking habit; (d) timing of surgery; (e) operating and tourniquet time; (f) metal used either low profile calcaneal plate, or other thicker plates; (g) closure method of the surgical wound. Design: retrospective study. Setting: Orthopaedic department-Sohag university hospital, Egypt; in association with orthopaedic department- Al-Jahra hospital, ministry of health, Kuwait state; from February 2008 to December 2014. Subjects: 64 patients with 72 intra-articular calcaneal fractures, treated via open reduction using extensile lateral approach and internal fixation using different plates. Results: An overall wound complications rate were 26.4% (19 fractures), which included; Wound edges necrosis and wound dehiscence {Occurred in 13 (18.1%) fractures; all treated by local care of the wound and regular dressing; except 2 fractures needed debridement and secondary closure.}, and wound superficial infection {occurred in 6 (8.3%) fractures; 3 are treated by local care, and 3 required antibiotics, one of them needed debridement and secondary closure.}. Conclusion: We recommend careful attention to these possible risk factors in surgical treatment of closed intra-articular calcaneal fractures.