High prevalence of tarsal coalitions and tarsal joint variants in a recent cadaver sample and its possible significance

Abstract

Tarsal coalitions (TC) are defined as fibrous (beyond normal ligaments), cartilaginous, or osseous unions of at least two tarsal bones. Most of the clinical studies report the prevalence of TC as <1%, but they disregard the asymptomatic coalitions. Because TC have been associated with pathologic conditions, including degenerative arthritic changes, knowledge of their prevalence has clinical importance. The aim of our study was to establish the prevalence of TC and tarsal joint variants. A total of 114 feet from 62 cadavers (average age = 78 years) without obvious foot pathologies were dissected at the Department of Anatomical Sciences, The University of Adelaide. Ten non-osseous TC in eight subjects were identified: two talocalcaneal and eight calcaneonavicular (occurred twice bilaterally). Variant calcaneonavicular and cuboideonavicular joints were found in 8% and 31% of feet, respectively. Other joint variants included a variable number of talocalcaneal joint surfaces and sesamoid bones. No secondary TC (due to trauma, infections, or neoplasm) were found. Our study demonstrated that the overall prevalence of TC is higher (13%) than previously thought; tarsal joint variations (39%) and sesamoid bones (42%) were common as well. The supposed secular increase in the prevalence of TC as well as the high number of anatomical variants could reflect a short-term response to altered life-style or a microevolutionary trend due to relaxed selection.

Paleopathological, Trichological and Paleoparasitological Analysis of Human Skeletal Remains from the Migration Period Cemetery Prague-Zličín

“…The occurrence of tarsal coalitions in most studies was not influenced by sexual dimorphism (e.g. Leonard 1974;Rühli et al 2003;Case, Burnett 2012) and statistically-important differences between unilateral and bilateral occurrences were not detected (e.g. Kulik, Clanton 1996;Cooperman et al 2001).…”

“…Recent clinical research estimates their frequency at 1-2% (Case, Burnett 2012) while cadaver studies usually record a higher occurrence; for example Rühli et al (2003) presented the overall prevalence of tarsal coalitions as 13.0% and of calcaneonavicular coalitions as 7.0%. Case and Burnett (2012) based the cause for these differences to be the examination methods and the character of the analysed sample.…”

Unilateral non-osseous calcaneonavicular coalition: report of a Portuguese archeological case

“…Tarsal coalitions (TCs) are rare foot anomalies consisting of the bridging between two or more tarsal bones (Rühli et al, 2003;Solomon et al, 2007). This union can further be classified into fibrous (syndesmosis), cartilaginous (synchondrosis) or osseous (synostosis) coalitions (O'Rahilly, 1953;Percy and Mann, 1988;Newman and Newberg, 2000;Rühli et al, 2003).…”

“…This union can further be classified into fibrous (syndesmosis), cartilaginous (synchondrosis) or osseous (synostosis) coalitions (O'Rahilly, 1953;Percy and Mann, 1988;Newman and Newberg, 2000;Rühli et al, 2003). In osteoarcheological material it is difficult to establish the differences between fibrous and cartilaginous coalition, so usually they are join in non-osseous TC (Regan et al, 1999;Silva, 2005).…”

“…In osteoarcheological material it is difficult to establish the differences between fibrous and cartilaginous coalition, so usually they are join in non-osseous TC (Regan et al, 1999;Silva, 2005). Although most coalitions are congenital, due to an unifactorial autosomal dominant inheritance pattern with high or nearly full penetrance (Plotkin, 1996;Bohne, 2001;Newman and Newberg, 2000;Scheuer and Black, 2000;Rühli et al, 2003), they also can occur secondary to degenerative joint disease, inflammatory arthritis, trauma, tumour, infection, and clubfoot deformities (Percy and Mann, 1988;Bohne, 2001).…”