title: Surgical treatment of intraarticular fractures of the calcaneus: comparison between flat plate and calcaneal plate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical results of surgical treatment of intraarticular fractures of the calcaneus, comparing the use of calcaneal plate and flat plate.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study assessing the postoperative results of 25 patients between 2013 and 2015. Patients undergoing surgical treatment of intraarticular fractures of the calcaneus without concomitant surgical lesions were included. Patients who did not complete appropriate follow-up after surgery were excluded from the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The unavailability of calcaneal plates at resource-limited settings, associated with the availability and lower cost of flat plates, may have been a confounding factor in the present study. However, there was no statistical difference between the outcomes of fractures treated with calcaneal plates or flat plates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Statistical inference shows that, when calcaneal plates are not available, it is possible to use flat plates with similar clinical outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Luterana do Brasil (Ulbra), Hospital Universitário, Canoas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos Almeida da
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Universidade Luterana do Brasil (Ulbra), Hospital Universitário, Canoas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Mendonça de Lima
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Heck
authors.affiliation: Universidade Luterana do Brasil (Ulbra), Hospital Universitário, Canoas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Teodoro Ezequiel
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Guerra
keywords: Calcaneus/injuries; Calcaneus/surgery; Fracture fixation, internal; Fractures, bone/surgery