A pitfall of coronal computed tomographic imaging in evaluation of calcaneal fractures

Computed tomographic (CT) coronal images of the posterior talocalcaneal joint were compared with lateral radiographic views and intraoperative findings in 35 patients with 36 intra-articular calcaneal fractures. The severity of articular incongruity and rotational displacement of the posterior facet fragment were not well appreciated in coronal CT images of nine patients, although Bohler and Gissane angles were significantly decreased in lateral radiographs. This disparity between the radiographic and coronal CT scans can be explained by the intraoperative finding of rotation of the fractured central or lateral portion of the convex posterior calcaneal facet along a horizontal axis in the coronal plane.