Function after total calcanectomy for malignant tumor in a child: is complex reconstruction necessary?

Complex reconstruction after calcaneal excision for aggressive or malignant tumors has been advocated. In this report we describe a 7-year-old child who underwent chemotherapy followed by total calcanectomy for a primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the calcaneum. The near-normal function achieved after the operation leads us to believe that complex reconstruction after calcaneal excision is not warranted in every pediatric case. This report also highlights the benefits of the Cincinnati incision for calcanectomy, and describes the gait abnormalities after the operation. To the best of our knowledge, a description of the gait abnormality observed after calcanectomy for tumor resection in a pediatric patient has not been reported up to now.