Morphological and radiological study of the Egyptian calcaneal articular facets and trabecular pattern of the calcaneus

Three hundred normal adult dry calcanei were collected from different anatomical departments in Egypt. The calcanei were subjected to study the morphology of the articular facets. Also, radiological examinations and longitudinal sections were done to study the trabecular patterns of the calcanei. According to the morphology of calcaneal articular facets, type I calcanei represented 63% of the total number of bones and showing one continuous facet situated on the sustentaculum tali and extending to the anteromedial corner of the distal part of the calcaneus. This type divided into two subtypes according to the absence or the presence of the constriction i.e. subtype Ia [40%] and subtype Ib [23%]. Type II calcanei represented 30% of the total number of bones and showing two articular facets which were presented with variable degree of separation between the two facets. Accordingly, this type divided into three subtypes i.e. subtype IIa with narrow separation, subtype IIb with moderate separation and subtype IIc with wide separation. Type III calcanei represented 5% of the total number of bones and showing a single facet on the sustentaculum tali with absence of anterior talar facets. Type IV calcanei represented 2% of the total number of bones and showing a single confluent facet due to fusion of medial, anterior and posterior talar articular facets