Baldwin County Injury Attorney

About Ankle Fractures - Heel Bone

The lawyers at McAleer Law have helped numerous individuals who have suffered ankle injuries caused by others, including those involved in ATV accidents, pedestrian accidents and car accidents.  A Baldwin personal injury lawyer at McAleer Law can assist you in determining if you have a viable personal injury claim. 

Calcaneal (heel bone) fractures  are also often the result of falls and high impact car collisions and are so diagnosed when a radiograph or x-ray taken in the emergency room indicates displaced (pushed out of their normal, aligned position) fractures of the right calcaneus that extend along the tarsal sinus and beneath the medial calcaneal structure called the sustentaculum tali.  

Injuries of the calcaneus most often occur in men in the prime of their working lives. Most have fallen from scaffolds, ladders or roofs, producing an axial load on the bone. The injuries are often incapacitating, not only because the calcaneus is the key weight-bearing bone of the foot, but also because it provides the anchor for the large superficial calf muscles. In addition to the direct injury to the calcaneus, the joint between the calcaneus and the talus, with which it articulates, often is damaged or displaced.

Axial force applied to the heel, whether from a fall or a high-speed impact during an auto accident, is most often the cause of calcaneal fractures and the associated fractures of surrounding bones.  In a fall, the talus is forced into the underlying calcaneus. Since the calcaneus must strike the ground first, it is relatively stationary. The lateral process of the talus is driven into the calcaneus at about the tarsal sinus. 

There is no universally accepted classification system for calcaneal fractures.  One system is a straightforward assessment of calcaneal injuries that is based on computed tomography (CT).  Type I in this system is a minimally- to non-displaced fracture of the posterior articular surface. Type II is a displaced, intra-articular fracture with 2mm or more of depression of the fragment.  Type III is a very serious comminuted fracture with displacement of the fragments.

Treatment of calcaneal fractures ranges from closed (non-surgical) reduction to open repair with fusion (arthrodesis) of the subtalar joint (i.e., the joint between the talus and calcaneus).  Fractures that are not displaced may be managed by more conservative approaches that do not include surgery. Casting and instructions to avoid weight-bearing activity are common approaches to these fractures.  If the fracture is complicated and directly involves the subtalar joint, however, the fragments must be brought into proximity by an open surgical approach. The fragments may then be held together with orthopedic wire, plates or screws. Bone grafting and or fusion of the subtalar joint between the talus and the calcaneus also is used in some cases. The relatively fragile soft tissue envelope surrounding the calcaneus often hampers heel injury repair.

The topic of calcaneal repair is one of the most difficult in orthopedic surgery.  The fractures and the consequences of them are often unpredictable.

The lawyers at McAleer Law are here to answer your questions if you have suffered from an ATV injury or ankle fracture caused by the carelessness of another. Contact an Alabama Personal Injury Attorney at McAleer Law - 251-341-0116.