Trabecular architecture of the ankle joint

Summary The trabecular architecture of the human ankle joint was studied three dimensionally by microradiography. The trabecular arrangement of the tibia and fibula was divided into four groups. The most characteristic orientation was observed in the bases of both malleoli where pressure-tension was caused by inversion and eversion of the talus. The talus showed two main trabecular arrangements: Trabeculae running between the trochlea and the posterior subtalar joint which supported body weight, and other trabeculae which belonged to part of the longitudinal foot-arch. The calcaneus showed four main trabecular arrangements. The first one was from the posterior subtalar joint to the tuber calcanei for supporting body weight, the second one was a part of the longitudinal foot-arch, the third one was the counterbrace of the second trabeculae, and the fourth one was the response to tension of the Achilles tendon.