Ankle morphometry based on CT in Chinese population.

BACKGROUND

Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is a surgical intervention for end-stage ankle arthritis. However, existing ankle prostheses continue to exhibit certain limitations, and there remains a need to develop prostheses that better conform to the ankle's anatomic characteristics. The objective of this study was to evaluate ankle morphometric data to establish an anatomical foundation for designing improved ankle prostheses.

METHODS

50 CT scans of ankle joints were included. 3D reconstruction was conducted using Mimics 19.0 and 3-matic 11.0, followed by meshing with Hypermesh software. The evaluated parameters included Tibial Plafond Width (TiW). Additionally, the study measured the Distance from the Lowest Point of the Lateral Malleolus to the Superior Tibial Plafond Tangent (DLA), among a total of 27 anatomical ankle joint parameters.

RESULT

The 27 groups of CT measurement data followed a normal distribution. Statistically significant differences were observed in 18 of the 27 measurement groups (TiW, DMA, MaIW, TaW, MTiTh, APG, TiAL, TaAL, Th, TBL, TBH, TaW(a, p, c), TiW(a, p, c) and TBB) when comparing males (n = 23) and females (n = 27), with all measured values in males being larger than those in females. When comparing left and right ankles, no statistically significant differences were found in any other measurements, except for male Medial Dorsoventral dimension (MDV) (p = 0.027).

CONCLUSION

The ankle joint parameters in the Chinese population exhibit sex-related differences, bilateral asymmetries, and regional variations when compared to populations from other geographic areas. Therefore, prosthesis design should comprehensively consider factors such as gender, ethnicity, and side-specific anatomical differences to ensure optimal anatomical compatibility.