FRESH FRACTURE OF THE OS CALCIS

Abstract

A broken leg as a rule causes too great a disability to allow a mistaken diagnosis. Not so with many fresh fractures of the os calcis. If the damage is severe enough the physician's attention is focused and his diagnostic curiosity challenged to the point that early roentgenograms are generally taken. Thus, a "sprain" turns out to be a crushing fracture of the heel bone. Too often, even in the larger centers, the ancient empirical form of treatment, consisting of "rest in an encasement until consolidation has arrived," is applied. I wish to advocate, briefly, a manner of treating fresh fracture of the os calcis by closed reduction, modeling the fragments by force and encasing the restored foot until healing takes place. <h3>HISTORICAL TREATMENT</h3> In 1720 Garangeot, of France, first described accurately the "smash fracture." Petit and Desault, his countrymen, reported their cases in the same year and advised "rest