Effect of the calcaneal medializing osteotomy on soft tissues supporting the plantar arch: A computational study

Publication date: March–April 2019Source: Revista Española de Cirugía Ortopédica y Traumatología (English Edition), Volume 63, Issue 2Author(s): R. Larrainzar-Garijo, C. Cifuentes de la Portilla, B. Gutiérrez-Narvarte, E. Díez-Nicolás, J. BayodAbstractMedializing calcaneal osteotomy forms part of the treatment options for adult acquired flat foot. The structural correction that is achieved is widely known. However, the effect of this procedure on the soft tissues that support the plantar arch has been little studied, since it is not possible to quantify experimentally the tension and deformation variations generated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of medializing calcaneal osteotomy on the soft tissue that supports the plantar arch, using a computational model of the human foot designed with a clinical approach. The proposed finite element model was reconstructed from computerised tomography images of a healthy patient. All the bones of the foot, the plantar fascia, cartilages, plantar ligaments and the calcaneus-navicular ligament were included, respecting their anatomical distribution and biomechanical properties. Simulations were performed emulating the monopodal support phase of the human walk of an adult. The effect on each tissue was evaluated according to clinical and biomechanical criteria. The results show that calcaneal osteotomy reduces the tension normally generated on the evaluated tissues, with the effect on the calcane...
Source: Revista Espanola de Cirugia Ortopedica y Traumatologia - Category: Orthopaedics Source Type: research