Table 4 The summarized results of systematic literature review of selected papers. Case reports with less than 3 cases were not reported

Swiontkowski, 1983 [39]

10 (10)

11–45

Resection (4)

Fusion (6)

–

100%

none

Elkus, 1986 [40]

8 ft

13 (8–19)

resection

2 (1–7)

8/8 (100%)

none

Olney, 1987 [33]

9 (10)

14 (10–22)

Resection + fat interposition

3.3

8/10 cases (80%)

1 patient had further surgery for incomplete resection

Scranton, 1987 [41]

14 (23)

24 (11–55)

Cast immobilization (5)

Resection (14)

Fusion (4)

3.9 (2.2–9.5)

23/23 (100%)

none

Danielsson, 1987 [42]

3 (3)

–

Resection + fat interposition

1.5–14

100%

none

Takakura, 1991 [43]

42 (67)

17.3 (5–54)

a) Nonoperative treatment: 24 (33)

b) Operative treatment:

1. resection: 26 (33)

2. fusion: 3 (3).

5.3 (2–11.2)

a) Nonoperative treatment: 68%

b) Operative treatment: 83%

a) Nonoperative treatment: residual pain in 8 ft (26%) limited motion in nine feet (29%)

b) Operative treatment:

mild residual pain in 4/33 ft treated by excision of the coalition (12%)

subtalar motion unchanged or decreased in 7/30 ft treated by excision of the coalition (23%)

sensory disturbance of the sole in 3/14 ft treated by excision of the coalition (21%)

No complications reported in patients treated by subtalar fusion

Salomao, 1992 [44]

22 (32)

14 (10–23)

resection + fat interposition.

2 (1–5.5)

78% of feet became completely painless and 22% achieved relief of pain.

Improved deformity in 69%

Improved range of motion in 75%.

none

Kumar, 1992 [45]

16 (18)

14 (7–19)

a) resection (3 cases)

b) resection + fat interposition (6 cases)

c) resection + split flexor hallucis longus tendon interposition (9 cases)

4 (2–8)

12/14 (87.5%)

1 relapse of the coalition with poor clinical outcome

Wilde, 1994 [19]

17 (20)

13 (9–15)

Resection.

1–9

10/20 (50%)

Residual RFF in 10/20 ft

(50%)

Kitaoka, 1997 [46]

11 (14)

17 (13–32)

a) resection (9 cases)

b) resection + fat or split flexor hallucis longus tendon interposition (5 cases)

6 (2–13)

9/14 (64%)

none

McCormack,1997 [47]

8 (9)

13.6 (10.5–22)

Resection + fat interposition

11.5 (10–16)

7/9 (78%)

none

Comfort, 1998 [48]

16 (20)

14 ± 2

Resection

2.4 (2–6.2)

12/20 (60%)

Four (20%) patients underwent further surgery.

Dutoit, 1998 [49]

8 (9)

14.1

Resection

4.5 (3–11.3)

4/8 (50%)

none

Luhmann, 1998 [50]

20 (25)

12.5 (9–16)

Resection + fat interposition

2.5 (1–8)

19/25 (76%)

2 superfical infection

2 coalition reformation.

5 cases had further surgery (peroneal tendon lengthening, 1 lateral column lengthening 3 arthrodesis)

Raikin, 1999 [51]

10 (14)

12 (9–16)

Resection + split flexor hallucis longus tendon interposition

4.2 (2.7–5)

12/14 (86%)

none

Giannini, 2003 [25]

12 (14)

13 (9–18)

Resection +

subtalar arthroereisis by a bioreabsorbable implant

3.3 (3–5.3)

11/14 (79%)

none

Westberry, 2003 [52]

10 (12)

12.7 (9–17.9)

Complete removal of the coalition

with removal of the sustentaculum tali

5.1 (1.5–8.7)

9/12 (75%)

One postoperative

wound infection.

One patient

required subsequent lateral column lengthening

Fleming, 2004 [53]

12 (14)

(11–14)

Resection + fat interposition

0.5–2

100%

none

Kernbach, 2008 [26]

3 (6)

14 (12–17)

Resection + flatfoot reconstruction*

3.3 (1.3–4.5)

6/6 (100%)

none

Sperl, 2010 [8]

3 (3)

13.4 (10–15)

Resection + deepithelialized skin flap interposition.

3.3 (0.5–8)

3/3 (100%)

none

Lisella, 2011 [54]

7 (8)

15 (12–18)

Resection + reconstruction

3 (2–5)

8/8 (100%)

1 infection

1 deep vein thrombosis

Mosca, 2012 [13]

8 (13)

13 (10–18)

a) 5 patients (9 ft) with RFF and TCC (coalition area > 50%): CLO + Strayer or TAL** + medial plication.

b) 1 patient (2 ft) with RFF and TCC (coalition area > 50%): simultaneous CLO + resection of the middle

facet coalition + Strayer.

c) 2 patients (2 ft) with residual RFF after the resection

of a middle facet tarsal coalition: CLO + TAL + talonavicular arthrodesis (1 ft)

2–15

Group 1: 9/9 (100%)

Group 2: 2/2 (100%)

Group 3: 1/2 (50%)

Group 1: 1 patient developed pain

under the fourth and fifth metatarsal heads on both feet.

Grouo 2: None.

Group 3: 1 patient underwent talonavicular arthrodesis for symptomatic arthritis

Gantsoudes, 2012 [29]

32 (49)

13

TCC resection + fat graft interposition

3.5

42/49 (84%)

11 ft (22%) underwent a total of 12 secondary procedures involving the lower extremity, including 2 revisions (4%).

Khoshbin, 2013 [22]

11 (13)

12 ± 2.5

resection alone (1) or with interposition of fat/wax graft (7), flexor digitorum

Longus (4) or flexor hallucis longus (1)

2.2

13/13 (100%)

none

Jagodzinski, 2013 [55]

8 (9)

15 (11–20)

Arthroscopic resection.

1–5.5

7/9 (78%)

1 patient developed scar sensitivity at one of the portal sites.

1 patient had posterior tibial nerve damage.

1 patient (2 ft) required further surgery (fusion)

De Wouters, 2014 [21]

6 (7)

14 (11–16)

Resection using 3D printed cutting guides + fascia lata allograft interposition.

1.7

7/7 (100%)

none

Kemppainen, 2014 [56]

19 (26)

13.5 (9–17)

Resection with or without intra-operative assessment through a portable CT scanner

2 (0,5–4)

19/26 (73%)

1 case required further surgery

Krief, 2015 [24]

3 (3)

10 (8–12)

Resection + interposition of a sterile silicone sheet

3.3 (1–6.7)

3/3 (100%)

none

Knörr, 2015 [57]

15 (16)

11.8 (8–15)

Arthroscopic resection

2.3 (1–3.7)

16/16 (100%)

Complex regional pain syndrome in 1 patient.

No recurrences.

Hamel, 2016 [58]

80 ft

8–17

a) resection + fat interposition (31)

b) resection + fat interposition + tarsal osteotomy (26)

c) fusion (20)

d) fusion + tarsal osteotomy (3)

3

Group 1 27/31 (87%)

Group 2 20/26 (77%)

Group 3 18/20 (90%)

Group 4 3/3 (100%)

3 cases underwent further surgery

Mahan, 2017 [59]

36 (51)

13.1 ± 2.6

resection

2.7

41/51 (80%)

2 patients developed superficial wound infection.

Masquijo, 2017 [60]

13 (14)

14 (11–16)

7 patients (8 ft): simultaneous TCC resection of the coalition and reconstruction;

6 patients (6 ft): isolated reconstruction

3.7.

14/14 (100%)

1: Hardware prominence;

1: superficial infection

Hubert, 2018 [23]

10 (12)

12.2 (10–18)

TCC resection and interposition of pediculated flap of the tibialis posterior tendon sheath

4.8

12/12 (100%)

none

Shirley, 2018 [61]

16 (16)

11.4

Conservative treatment.

1.7 (0.2–7.4)

9/14 (54%)

38% of cases required surgery

Present Study

55 (81)

11.8 (9–17)

Group 1: non operative treatment (47); group 2: coalition resection, graft interposition and subtalar arthroereisis (34)

6.6 (3–12)

26/47 (55%)

26/34 (76%)

No complications, but 6 patients (7) in group 1 were unsatisfied and required surgery