Acute midfoot injuries and their management

Abstract

Acute injuries of the midfoot are uncommon and can be challenging to diagnose and manage. These injuries are frequently overlooked, as the initial plain radiographs, can be difficult to interpret or are misleading. As the consequences of a missed midfoot injury can be devastating for the patient and are so difficult to treat, all orthopaedic surgeons should be highly suspicious when managing patients with midfoot trauma. This article summarizes the current literature about the midfoot injuries and focuses in their management. Non-displaced fractures and stable injuries can be treated conservatively with immobilization for 4–6 weeks. Displaced fractures, unstable or high-energy complex injuries should be treated surgically. Extra care should be given to maintain the length of the medial and lateral columns, in order to avoid long-term deformity and disability. In general the achievement of anatomic reduction and stable fixation of these injuries leads to good functional long term outcomes.