OBJECTIVETo compare the effect between mini-traumatic bone-grafting and non-bone-grafting in percutaneous K-wire fixation for treating the calcaneal fractures.

METHODSFrom 2002 to 2006, 112 patients with the type II (Paley type) fractures of calcaneus were studied. There were 56 cases in bone-grafting group involving 36 males and 20 famales,aged from 21 to 65, averaged (42.0 +/- 2.3) years; 11 cases were in type II a and 45 were in type II b; the course was from 3 to 14 days, averaged (6.0 +/- 1.2) days. And there were 56 cases in non-bone-grafting group involving 38 males and 18 famales,aged from 22 to 67, averaged (43.0 +/- 2.5)years; 13 cases were in type II a and 43 were in type II b; the course was from 2 to 15 days, averaged (5.0-2.1) days. All the cases were treated by closed reduction and percutaneous K-wire fixation, and bone-grafting group(56 cases) were treated by mini-traumatic bone-grafting, but the other group (56 cases) were not. The collapsing rate and fineness rate were compared.

RESULTSAll the cases were followed up from 5 to 52 months. There were no collapsing cases in the bone-grafting group after operation, but 3 cases occurrenced re-collapsing in the non-bone-grafting group. According to the Zhang Tie-liang's evaluation criterion, in the bone-grafting group,the results were excellent in 43 cases, good in 12, fair in 1, the fineness rate was 98.2%. In the non-bone-grafting group,the results were excellent in 37 cases, good in 16, fair in 2, poor in 1, the fineness rate was 94.7%.

CONCLUSIONTreatment of the type II fracture of calcaneus with closed reduction, percutaneous K-wire fixation and mini-traumatic bone-grafting can prevent the posterior talar articular surface of caltaneus from collapsing again after operation, enhance the union of fracture, elevate the curative effect, thus it should be taken with the standard therapeutic regimen.