Superior Peroneal Retinacular Injuries in Calcaneal Fractures

Abstract

Calcaneal fractures are injuries that occur generally as the result of high-energy mechanisms, and, as such, the presence of concurrent injuries should be suspected. The presence of peroneal tendon and superior retinacular injuries has been underreported. We sought to report the incidence of peroneal tendon pathologic features in our population of patients with calcaneal fractures, with emphasis on the method of identification. Furthermore, we sought to identify whether specific fracture patterns were more commonly associated with this pathologic finding. Of the 97 cases, 13 (13.4%) required repair of the superior peroneal retinaculum, 11 of which demonstrated the Sanders A fracture line. Our findings have demonstrated an incidence of pathologic features, in particular, with the presence of the Sanders A fracture line, that warrants attention to potentially help improve the outcome of these devastating injuries.