Background: Evans calcaneal lengthening osteotomy is used to treat symptomatic flexible flatfoot when conservative treatment fails. Grafts such as autologous iliac bone grafts, allografts, and xenografts are implanted at the osteotomy site to lengthen the lateral column of the hindfoot. This study aimed to present the outcomes of an autologous mid-fibula bone graft used for calcaneal lengthening in symptomatic pes valgus in adolescents.Methods: We retrospectively examined 23 ft of 13 adolescents who underwent surgery between July 2014 and January 2018. The radiological and clinical outcomes (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot scale scores) were assessed during a mean follow-up of 49.7 (range, 30.9–73.4) months. The mean distance of the lengthening site was measured to evaluate graft sinking or collapse. The Goldberg scoring system was used to determine the degree of union at the donor and recipient sites.Results: The calcaneal pitch and the anteroposterior and lateral talo-first metatarsal (Meary) angles showed significant correction, from 14.4 to 19.6 (p < 0.001), and from 14.5 to 4.6 (p < 0.001) and 13.5 to 8.5 (p < 0.001), respectively. The mean distance of the lengthening site showed no significant change (p = 0.203), suggesting no graft sinking or postoperative collapse. The lateral distal tibial angle showed no significant difference (p = 0.398), suggesting no postoperative ankle valgus changes. Healing of the recipient and donor sites occurred in 23 and 21 ft, respectively. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot scores improved significantly, from 68.0 to 98.5 (p < 0.001).Conclusions: Evans calcaneal lengthening using an ipsilateral mid-fibula bone autograft resulted in significant improvement in clinical and radiological outcomes without ankle valgus deformity. Hence, it could be a treatment option for lateral column calcaneal lengthening in adolescents.
Background: Residual deficits after early treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) using osteotomy often led to asymmetrical gait deviations with increased repetitive rates of ground reaction force (GRF) in both hips, resulting in a higher risk of early osteoarthritis. This study investigated lower limb inter-joint coordination and swing foot control during level walking in adolescents with early-treated unilateral DDH. Methods: Eleven female adolescents treated early for DDH using Pemberton osteotomy were compared with 11 age-matched healthy controls. The joint angles and angular velocities of the hip, knee, and ankle were measured, and the corresponding phase angles and continuous relative phase (CRP) for hip–knee and knee–ankle coordination were obtained. The variability of inter-joint coordination was quantified using the deviation phase values obtained as the time-averaged standard deviations of the CRP curves over multiple trials. Results: The DDH group exhibited a flexed posture with increased variability in knee–ankle coordination of the affected limb throughout the gait cycle compared to the control group. In contrast, the unaffected limb compensated for the kinematic alterations of the affected limb with reduced peak angular velocities but increased knee–ankle CRP over double-limb support and trajectory variability over the swing phase. Conclusions: The identified changes in inter-joint coordination in adolescents with early treated DDH provide a plausible explanation for the previously reported increased GRF loading rates in the unaffected limb, a risk factor of premature OA.