Traumatic Fracture of the Inferior Calcaneal Spur: A Case Report

Pain in the plantar heel region can be caused by numerous conditions, such as plantar fasciitis, which is the most common cause of heel pain in adults. It is also frequently associated with an inferior calcaneal spur. This exostosis arises at the origin of the short flexor muscles of the toes and shares a pathophysiological mechanism, but its association with heel pain has not been demonstrated. Fracture of the inferior calcaneal spur is a very rare fracture and a cause of painful heel. We present the case of a 50-year-old woman who consulted for plantar pain on her left foot after a fall with her weight on that foot. Examination and a radiograph led to the diagnosis of a fracture of the inferior calcaneal spur. In the few previously published cases and in this one, conservative management with rest, local cold therapy and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has been shown to be effective in controlling symptoms within a period of 2 weeks to 1 year, without any functional limitations on the affected foot. This should be considered to prevent the use of more aggressive and riskier
treatments whose outcome has not been shown to be superior to conservative management at the outset.

Keywords: Heel spur, calcaneal spur, fracture