Haluk Yaka1, Kayhan Kesik2, Veysel Başbuğ3, Muhammed Furkan Küçükşen4, Mustafa Özer4

1Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Konya City Hospital, Konya, Türkiye
2Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Karadeniz Ereğli State Hospital, Zonguldak, Türkiye
3Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Nevşehir State Hospital, Nevşehir, Türkiye
4Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Türkiye

Keywords: Calcaneal inclination, foot angles, lateral talocalcaneal angle, osteochondral lesions, talus.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to examine the relationship between foot angles and the presence and localization of osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs).

Patients and methods: Between January 2014 and January 2019, a total of 152 patients with a diagnosis of medial OTLs (95 males, 57 females; mean age: 28.8±6.4 years; range, 18 to 40 years), 51 patients with a diagnosis of lateral OTLs (36 males, 15 females; mean age: 27.1±6.2 years; range, 18 to 39 years), and 114 patients without known foot-ankle trauma as the control group (56 males, 58 females; mean age: 29.0±6.1 years; range, 18 to 40 years) were included. Magnetic resonance imaging and radiographs of each group were analyzed retrospectively. Lateral talocalcaneal angle (LTCA), calcaneal inclination angle (CIA), Böhler angle (BA), and Gissane angle (GA) were measured on the images and the values were compared among the groups.

Results: The CIA had a significant relationship with the localization (p<0.001). It was higher in patients with OLTs and had an effect on localization. The mean CIA was 26.6º±3.9º in the medial OLTs group, 23.0º±3.5º in the lateral OLTs group, and 18.5º±3.6º in the control group. There was a significant difference in the LTCA between the control and OLTs groups (p<0.001). The LTCA was higher in patients with OLTs, but had no effect on localization. The mean LTCA was 41.1º±4.2º for medial OLTs, 41.3º±4.2º for lateral OLTs, and 35.7º±6.8º for the controls. No significant relationship was found for BA and GA among the three groups.

Conclusion: Factors affecting the localization of OLTs are still not fully understood. However, foot morphology seems to play a role in determining medial or lateral localization. The LTCA is not related to the localization of OLTs; however, an increased LTCA may be related to the occurrence of OLTS. Increased CIA may be related to both OLTS localization and OLTs occurrence.

Citation: Yaka H, Kesik K, Başbuğ V, Küçükşen MF, Özer M. Is medial or lateral localization of osteochondral lesions of talus related to foot angles? Jt Dis Relat Surg 2024;35(1):96-104. doi: 10.52312/jdrs.2023.1373.

Ethics Committee Approval

The study protocol was approved by the Necmettin Erbakan University Pharmaceutical and Non-Medical Device Research Ethics Committee (date: 16.09.2022, no: 160). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Author Contributions

Idea, concept: M.Ö., H.Y., KK.; Data collection: H.Y., V.B., M.F.K..; Analysis: M.Ö., H.Y. KK, M.F.K.; Control and critical review: M.Ö., H.Y. ,V.B.; Writing the article: M.Ö., H.Y., K.K.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Financial Disclosure

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

Data Sharing Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.