Functional and radiological outcomes of operative management of displaced talar neck fractures

Aim: To evaluate functional and radiological results of internal fixation of displaced talar neck fractures. Materials and methods: Twenty patients with displaced talar neck fractures who underwent surgery and fixation by cancellous screws were evaluated. Patients were evaluated by American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society score which is based on pain (40 points), function (50 points) and alignment (10 points) with excellent (90-100 points), good (75-89 points), fair (60-74 points) and poor scores (<60 points) and radiographically for assessment of union, osteonecrosis and osteoarthritic changes in the subtalar and ankle joint. Results: Among the 20 cases, 13 cases had closed injuries and 7 had open fractures. The most common etiology of injury was road traffic accidents. The average follow up time was 28 months. Osteonecrosis was evident on follow up X-rays in 7 cases of which 2 progressed to talar dome collapse. Post traumatic arthritis was observed in 11 cases. Based on American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society scores, excellent result was obtained in 4 cases, good 7 cases, fair 5 cases and poor 4 cases. Conclusion: Talar neck fractures are associated with high rates of morbidity and complications. Post traumatic arthritis is more common complication than osteonecrosis following surgery.