Ankle equinus is widely recognized as the primary deforming force behind a variety of pedal pathologies. Several surgical approaches for the correction of both gastrosoleus and gastrocnemius contractures leading to equinus are currently available to the foot and ankle surgeon. In recent years, endoscopic gastrocnemius recession (EGR) has gained popularity for surgical correction of gastrocnemius contracture because of its minimal invasiveness, relative ease of performance, and low risk of complications, as compared with alternative open surgical techniques. Unlike open gastrocnemius recession or tendo Achilles lengthening procedures, EGR demonstrates minimal risk of overlengthening (which often results in a calcaneal-type gait and is fraught with complications). Endoscopic gastrocnemius recession is a fairly recent addition to the list of procedures available for surgical correction of equinus. Consequently, little research has been published demonstrating the reproducibility of the EGR results. In this study, ultrasound-guided measurement of length attained after EGR was performed on 18 limbs within 10 days postoperatively. Results of this preliminary study suggest that EGR provides consistent results in a variety of patients while maintaining a low risk of postoperative complications. Comparison to available literature confirmed that the length attained in this series was noted to be adequate for correction of an equinus deformity and was found to be comparable to the length attained after open EGR.
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