Calcaneum Fracture (Heel Bone Fracture)

Do not walk on it. Elevate the foot, apply ice, and get an X-ray and CT scan as soon as possible. Displaced calcaneum fractures have the best results when treated by a foot & ankle specialist within 2–3 weeks, before the bone starts healing in a bad position.

No. Undisplaced fractures and fractures not involving the joint heal well in a cast or boot. Displaced intra-articular fractures (where the joint surface is shattered or the heel is shortened and widened) give far better long-term results with surgical fixation.

Usually 7–14 days after injury, once the swelling settles and the skin shows the 'wrinkle sign'. Operating too early on swollen skin risks wound complications; waiting beyond 3 weeks makes the surgery technically much harder.

It means the heel bone healed in a wrong position — typically short, wide and tilted outward. Patients notice chronic pain on the outer side of the ankle, a heel that feels 'flat', difficulty wearing shoes, and pain while walking on uneven surfaces. It is one of the most common reasons patients come for a second opinion months after a heel fracture.

Yes. Even old malunions can be reconstructed: the heel shape is restored with a corrective osteotomy, the peroneal tendons are decompressed, and if the subtalar joint is arthritic it is fused in the corrected position. Most patients return to comfortable daily walking.

The widened heel bone compresses the peroneal tendons against the outer ankle bone (fibula) — called peroneal impingement. It is the hallmark of calcaneum malunion and is reliably relieved by lateral wall exostectomy with reconstruction.

The risk of subtalar arthritis is real, especially when the joint surface was displaced and not reconstructed. Accurate surgical reduction greatly reduces — but does not completely eliminate — this risk. Established arthritis is treated with subtalar fusion, which has excellent pain relief.

Typically 6–8 weeks after surgery, once X-rays show healing. Early weight-bearing before bone healing can collapse the fixation. Physiotherapy for ankle and subtalar movement starts much earlier, within 1–2 weeks.

Only truly undisplaced, stable fractures — and even then a boot is strongly recommended. Walking on an untreated displaced calcaneum fracture is exactly how malunion develops.

It requires extra care: smoking and uncontrolled diabetes significantly increase wound-healing problems after heel surgery. Dr. Narang uses minimally invasive techniques and careful soft-tissue timing to reduce these risks, and will optimise sugar control before surgery.

Calcaneum Fracture (Heel Bone Fracture) is usually the result of accumulated mechanical stress, an untreated older injury, or a change in activity, footwear or body weight. A structured evaluation identifies the exact driver so treatment targets the cause, not just the symptom.

If pain lasts more than 2–3 weeks, wakes you at night, causes limping, prevents sport or work, or comes with swelling, deformity or numbness — book a specialist review. Early expert care almost always prevents surgery later.

Yes — the majority of patients improve with a structured conservative programme: activity modification, specific physiotherapy, footwear and orthotic optimisation, and targeted injections when indicated. Surgery is reserved for cases where an appropriate non-surgical trial has genuinely failed.

Recovery depends on severity and treatment pathway. Simple cases settle in 2–6 weeks with conservative care. Surgical reconstruction typically follows a structured 3–6 month protected weight-bearing and rehabilitation programme, with return to sport around 4–6 months.

Not necessarily. Dr. Chandan Narang follows a strict conservative-first protocol. Surgery is offered only when imaging and clinical findings show that non-surgical care cannot restore function, or if there is structural damage that will worsen if left alone.

Often, yes — provided the physiotherapy is condition-specific (not generic), progressive, and combined with the right footwear, orthotics and activity modification. Many "failed physio" cases in fact never received the right protocol.

Delay allows the underlying mechanical problem to progress: ligaments loosen further, cartilage wears down, deformity becomes rigid, and tendons tear. Reconstructive surgery for late-stage disease is bigger, longer and more expensive than early treatment.

Yes. Most calcaneum fracture (heel bone fracture) cases can be reviewed via a structured video consultation with X-rays or MRI uploaded in advance. In-person examination is only required when a specific hands-on test is decisive.

Weight-bearing X-rays are the standard baseline. MRI is used for suspected soft-tissue tears, cartilage lesions or occult fractures. CT is reserved for complex bony deformity or trauma planning. Ultrasound is used selectively for dynamic tendon assessment.

Yes. Old imaging is invaluable for tracking progression. Please upload every prior report and image via WhatsApp before your consultation so Dr. Chandan Narang can review everything ahead of time.