Surgery for retrocalcaneal bursitis: a tendon-splitting versus a lateral approach.
For patients with refractory retrocalcaneal bursitis (Haglund's syndrome), the most effective surgical approach has not been defined. We asked whether patients undergoing the tendon-splitting approach and the lateral approach would have comparably effective relief of pain for both types of calcaneal ostectomies. We retrospectively reviewed 30 patients (31 feet) who underwent the tendon-splitting approach and compared their results with 32 previous patients (35 feet) who had a lateral incision. Minimum followup was 12 months (mean, 16 months; range, 12-23 months) for the tendon-splitting group and 15 months (mean, 51 months; range, 15-109 months) for the lateral group. The mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score improved from 43 points preoperatively to 81 points (range, 8-100 points) postoperatively in the tendon-splitting group and from 54 points to 86 points (range, 55-100 points) in the lateral group. The mean physical component score of the Short Form-36, version 2, at followup was 52 (range, 22-61) in the tendon-splitting group and 49 (range, 34-63) in the lateral group. The median return to normal function was 4.1 months (range, 3-13 months) in the tendon-splitting group and 6.4 months (range, 4-20 months) in the lateral group. Both approaches to calcaneal ostectomy provided symptomatic pain relief. However, patients in the tendon-splitting group returned to normal function quicker than patients in the lateral group.


METHODS
Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Anderson
John A
JA
Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, 523 East 72nd Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Suero
Eduardo
E
O'Loughlin
Padhraig F
PF
Kennedy
John G
JG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002062:Bursitis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D002111:Calcaneus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013710:Tendons / Q000601:surgery*