Calcaneo‐stop for paediatric idiopathic flexible flatfoot: High functional results and return to sport in 644 feet at mid‐term follow‐up

Abstract Purpose Idiopathic flexible flatfoot (IFF) is a frequent condition in children. Patients refractory to conservative treatments may benefit from surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes and sport activity levels in a large cohort of paediatric patients tre...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Simone Silva, Tullia Tavernini, Alessandro Bruschi, Luca Andriolo, Giulia Guizzardi, Margherita Serra, Gino Rocca, Giuseppe Filardo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/jeo2.70182
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Purpose Idiopathic flexible flatfoot (IFF) is a frequent condition in children. Patients refractory to conservative treatments may benefit from surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes and sport activity levels in a large cohort of paediatric patients treated with calcaneo‐stop (CS) for the symptomatic IFF. Methods A single‐centre retrospective study was conducted using an institutional database that prospectively collected clinical outcomes of patients treated with CS for symptomatic IFF. The procedure included the implantation of a cancellous screw through the talus, which was subsequently removed after 2 years. A total of 644 feet (336 consecutive patients) followed up to a mean of 41.3 ± 6.7 months after implant removal were included. Foot pain and sport activity were assessed. Results A successful outcome, defined as the presence of a painless, corrected foot together with patient satisfaction, was obtained in 94% of the patients, while 35 feet were considered failed. Extracurricular sport participation was possible in most patients after CS screw implantation (55%) and fully recovered after implant removal (77%). No activity level increase was shown compared to baseline. The only factor that correlated significantly with the incidence of failures was the occurrence of adverse events (p = 0.001), which negatively influenced also the sport activity level (p = 0.008). Females obtained lower Tegner scores compared to males (3.5 vs. 5.0, p < 0.0005). Conclusions CS procedure provided highly satisfactory clinical results at mid‐term follow‐up. Full sport activity level was recovered after screw removal and a 94% favourable outcome was obtained in terms of foot pain relief as well as patient and parents satisfaction. Level of Evidence Level IV, case series.
ISSN:2197-1153