Objectives: To report the outcome and comparison of calcaneum fracture managements for intra-articular fractures.

Methods: A prospective study of the patients with intra-articular calcaneum fractures in the foot& ankle unit of a busy trauma hospital. All the patients were followed up with the calcaneal fracture score. We compared the outcome of surgical management Sanders type-2 and type-3 fractures with conservative treatment at 2 years and then, the medium term (> 5 years) outcomes of type-2 and type-3 surgical groups were assessed. Conservative group was a consecutive series of patients recruited to the study later than surgical groups, hence the smaller number in that group.

Results: 126 patients were included in our study. There were 70 in group type-2 and 38 in group type-3 with surgical management, while only 18 in the group with conservative management. The mean age for surgical type-2 = 46.2, type-3= 46.3 and conservative group = 51.7. Mean follow-ups for the groups were type-2=6y, type-3 =5.5y and conservative one =2.34y. Mean two-year scores for the surgical groups were type-2=68.13, type-3=63.78, while conservative one =51.36.

There was a statistically significant differences in their score between type-2 surgical and conservative groups (P=0.0006), and between type-3 surgical and conservative ones (P=0.04), but no significant difference between type-2 and type-3 surgical groups.

At medium-term follow-up, the scores for type-2 and type-3 surgical groups were 77.06 and 63.66 respectively, with significant increase in type-2 while type-3 remains similar comparing to two-year scores. There were 7 deep, 5 superficial infections and 32 metalwork removals in total.

Conclusion: On comparing the medium term outcome to the two-year one, surgical type-2 group of patients showed some improvement, while type-3 stayed the same.

In this series, contrary to published articles, there was a better outcome at two years with surgical treatment than conservative treatment.

Objectives: To report the outcome and comparison of calcaneum fracture managements for intra-articular fractures.

Methods: A prospective study of the patients with intra-articular calcaneum fractures in the foot& ankle unit of a busy trauma hospital. All the patients were followed up with the calcaneal fracture score.

We compared the outcome of surgical management Sanders type 2 (Group A) and type 3 (group B) fractures with conservative treatment (group C) at 2 years and assessed the medium term outcomes of groups A and B. Group C were a consecutive series of patients recruited to the study later than A and B, hence the smaller number in that group.

Results: 126 patients were included in our study. There were 70 in group A, 38 in group B, and 18 in group C. Mean follow-ups for the groups were A=6y, B=5.5y and C=2.34y. Mean two-year scores for the groups were A=68.13, B=63.78, and C=51.36, with statistically significant differences between groups A and C (P=0.0006), and between groups B and C (P=0.04), but no significant difference between groups A and B.

At medium-term follow-up (> 5 years), the scores for group A and B were 77.06 and 63.66 respectively.

There were 7 deep, 5 superficial infections and 32 metalwork removals in total.

Conclusion: On comparing the medium term outcome to the two-year one, group A showed some improvement and group B stayed the same.

In this series, there was a better outcome at two years with surgical treatment than conservative treatment.