The surgical tibiotalar angle: a radiologic study.
BACKGROUND
Many studies on cadaver specimens describe the hindfoot anatomy, but few measures have been defined and quantified on radiographs. Our aim was to determine the tibiotalar angle using the tibial tuberosity as a reference point.


METHODS
The tibiotalar angle, using the tibial tuberosity as reference point, was measured on anteroposterior views of 168 ankles. Bilateral radiographs were obtained in 75 patients.


RESULTS
The tibiotalar angle was 92.4 degrees (SD = 3.1) without significant intraindividual difference on the radiographs examined bilaterally. More varus was found in women and with increased age.


CONCLUSIONS
The tibial tuberosity is a reliable reference point for the measurement of the tibiotalar angle and is used in numerous operative procedures of the hindfoot. If the angle cannot be measured because of progressed destruction, the measurement can be obtained from the contralateral leg, as no significant intraindividual difference was found in the tibiotalar angle (p < 0.001).
Knupp
Markus
M
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Spitalgasse 21, 4051 Basel, Switzerland. Knupp_m@hotmail.com
Ledermann
Hanspeter
H
Magerkurth
Olaf
O
Hinterman
Beat
B
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D013628:Talus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013977:Tibia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*