Surgical treatment of the cuboid fractures

Abstract

Objective To explore the operative methods of open reduction and fixation for the cuboid fractures. Methods The study involved 12 patients with cuboid fractures treated from October 2006 to October 2008. There were seven males and five females, at average age of 38.5 years (range 18-70 years). All patients had closed fractures, including 10 with compression fracture and two with sagittal fractures. The surgical treatments included open reduction, internal fixation by plate, screw or K-wire.Results Ten patients were followed up for 15 months on average ( range 12-24 months), which showed one stage wound healing, with mean time of bone union for 10 weeks ( range 8-15 weeks). No infection was found in any patient. The weight load walk began at 12 weeks ( range 8-18 weeks), with no obvious pain. According to American orthopaedic foot and ankle society (AOFAS) midfoot scale, the mean score was 88.6 (range 73-100). Conclusion Anatomic reduction and stable internal fixation of the cuboid fractures is the key point for recovery of foot form, stabilization and function of the feet. Key words: Tarsal bones; Fracture fixation, internal; Follow-up studies