Ogihara Naomichi, Matsumoto Yuka, Seki Hiroyuki, Nagura Takeo, Imanishi Nobuaki, Jinzaki Masahiro, Oishi Motoharu, Endo Hideki, Suwa Gen
Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tachikawa Hospital, Tachikawa, Japan.
Sci Rep. 2025 Sep 1;15(1):32038. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-17948-5.
The subtalar joint is essential for the normal function of the human foot during bipedal walking, with its kinematics being pivotal for understanding foot biomechanics, disorders, and evolution. Traditionally, the helical axis representation has been used to assess subtalar joint movement, assuming translational motion along the rotational axis. However, recent observations challenge this assumption, revealing predominantly mediolateral translation during walking. To address this discrepancy, we propose a novel method that combines a rotational axis representation with a translational axis aligned parallel to the cylindrical axis of the subtalar joint's posterior facet. Utilizing human cadaveric lower legs, we quantified subtalar joint motion through CT scan analysis. Comparative evaluations between the conventional helical axis representation and the newly proposed cylindrical axis-based representation revealed a closer correspondence between calcaneus movement and the cylindrical axis, emphasizing the pivotal role of posterior facet morphology in subtalar joint kinematics. This innovative approach provides a more intuitive and clinically useful depiction of subtalar joint biomechanics, potentially leading to deeper insights into fundamental biomechanics and function of the human foot, and improved clinical assessment and treatment strategies for subtalar joint-related pathologies.
距下关节对于人类双足行走时足部的正常功能至关重要，其运动学对于理解足部生物力学、疾病及进化起着关键作用。传统上，螺旋轴表示法被用于评估距下关节运动，该方法假定沿旋转轴存在平移运动。然而，最近的观察结果对这一假设提出了挑战，显示行走过程中主要是内外侧平移。为解决这一差异，我们提出了一种新方法，即将旋转轴表示法与一条平行于距下关节后关节面圆柱轴排列的平移轴相结合。利用人体尸体小腿，我们通过CT扫描分析对距下关节运动进行了量化。传统螺旋轴表示法与新提出的基于圆柱轴的表示法之间的比较评估显示，跟骨运动与圆柱轴之间的对应关系更为紧密，这突出了后关节面形态在距下关节运动学中的关键作用。这种创新方法为距下关节生物力学提供了更直观且临床上有用的描述，可能会使人们对人类足部的基本生物力学和功能有更深入的了解，并改善与距下关节相关疾病的临床评估和治疗策略。
