Calcaneal Facet of Talus: An Osseo-morphological Study in the Population of West Bengal, India

Abstract

Introduction: Calcaneal articular facet of talus plays an important role in joint stability as well as in mobility. In many diseases of foot viz., talocalcaneal arthritis, coalition, intra-articular fracture, congenital flatfoot, valgus deformity; as well as in different surgical procedures viz., triple arthrodesis, internal and external fixation, osteotomy, and anatomic reduction; the size and shape of bones, the inter-relationship of talus and calcaneum with other bones of foot is an important clinical consideration. Aim: To explore the variability of the types of the calcaneal facets of talus in population of West Bengal, India. Materials and Methods: An observational descriptive study was conducted with dry specimens of tali preserved in Department of Anatomy of medical teaching institutions of Kolkata for six months; with 144 tali of unknown age and sex (69 right and 75 left-sided), collected from bone libraries of seven different medical colleges of West Bengal by non probability sampling. The borders of the calcaneal articular facets were traced with colour sketch pen, following which authors unanimously agreed upon the ‘type’ of the calcaneal facets on visual impression as was guided in the mostly used classification standard method as described by Arora AK et al., and Kaur M et al. Data was extrapolated and analysed in Microsoft excel software 2010. Results: Out of 144 tali (right=69, left=75) maximum number of type II (47.92%) was observed. For right-side, type I, II and V facets in 47.83%, 43.48% and 8.70% were observed respectively. On left-side, type I- 36%, type II- 52%, type III, IV, V 4% was observed each. Authors did not find any type III or type IV on right-side. Conclusion: Maximum prevalence of the type II articular facet was found and absence of type III/IV facets in the right-side in the current study population provides us a reflection of the anthropometric data for the population of West Bengal, but there remains scope of further study with larger sample size supported by imaging facilities.