Tarsal coalition in the Turkish population: an MRI study

Year 2022, Volume: 16 Issue: 3, 165 - 171, 20.12.2022

Semra Duran , Esra Çıvgın

Abstract

Objectives: Tarsal coalition describes a complete or partial union of two or more tarsal bones. We aimed to determine the anatomical features of tarsal coalition in patients undergoing ankle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to report tarsal coalition prevalence in the Turkish population.
Methods: A total of 1075 ankle MRI were evaluated and patients with tarsal coalition were included to the study. Statistical analyses were performed to check whether there is a correlation between the presence of the tarsal coalition and age, gender and side (right/left) and to identify the talar beak sign accompanying the coalition and the presence of edema or cyst in the bones.
Results: We detected tarsal coalition in 18 patients (a total of 21 ankles) (1.68%). Out of these, seven were females (1.32%) and eleven were males (2.04%). The mean age was 37.22±14.23 years. Three (0.28%) patients had bilateral coalition. Eight patients (0.56%) had tarsal coalition on the right ankle and 13 patients (1.12%) had on the left. We detected osseous talocalcaneal coalition in 3 patients, non-osseous talocalcaneal coalition in 6 patients, non-osseous calcaneonavicular coalition in 10 patients and non-osseous cuboid navicular coalition in 2 patients. Talar beak was found in 11 (52.38%) patients, edema or cysts in the bones forming the coalition were found in 11 (52.38%) patients.
Conclusion: The prevalence of the tarsal coalition was determined to be 1.68 % in a Turkish population and was more common among men. Calcaneonavicular coalition followed by talocalcaneal coalition are the most common types.

Keywords

edema, magnetic resonance imaging, talar beak, tarsal coalition

References

• Zaw H, Calder JD. Tarsal coalitions. Foot Ankle Clin 2010;15:349–64.
• Lawrence DA, Rolen MF, Haims AH, Zayour Z, Moukaddam HA. Tarsal coalitions: radiographic, CT, and MR imaging findings. HSS J 2014;10:153–66.
• Soni JF, Valenza W, Matsunaga C. Tarsal coalition. Curr Opin Pediatr 2020;32:93–9.
• Lim S, Lee HK, Bae S, Rim NJ, Cho J. A radiological classification system for talocalcaneal coalition based on a multi-planar imaging study using CT and MRI. Insights Imaging 2013;4:563–7.
• Linklater J, Hayter CL, Vu D, Tse K. Anatomy of the subtalar joint and imaging of talo-calcaneal coalition. Skeletal Radiol 2009;38:437–49.
• Nalaboff KM, Schweitzer ME. MRI of tarsal coalition: frequency, distribution, and innovative signs. Bull NYU Hosp Jt Dis 2008;66: 14–21.
• Stormont DM, Peterson HA. The relative incidence of tarsal coalition. Clin Orthop Relat Res 1983;(181):28–36.
• Crim JR, Kjeldsberg KM. Radiographic diagnosis of tarsal coalition. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2004;182:323–8.
• Park JJ, Seok HG, Woo IH, Park CH. Racial differences in prevalence and anatomical distribution of tarsal coalition. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21567.
• Newman JS, Newberg AH. Congenital tarsal coalition: multimodality evaluation with emphasis on CT and MR imaging. Radiographics 2000;20:321–2.
• Kim JH, Gwak HC, Lee CR, Kim YJ, Kim JG, Lee SJ, Lee JH, Park JH. Incidence of tarsal coalition: an institutional magnetic resonance imaging analysis. Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society 2016; 20:116–20.
• Cilengir AH, Bayraktar ES, Dursun S, Ozdemir M, Altay S, Elmali F, Tosun O. A retrospective magnetic resonance imaging analysis of bone and soft tissue changes associated with the spectrum of tarsal coalitions. Clin Anat 2023;36:336–43.
• Cheng KY, Fuangfa P, Shirazian H, Resnick D, Smitaman E. Osteochondritis dissecans of the talar dome in patients with tarsal coalition. Skeletal Radiol 2022;5:191–200.
• Varner KE, Michelson JD. Tarsal coalition in adults. Foot Ankle Int 2000;21:669–72.
• Elkus RA. Tarsal coalition in the young athlete. Am J Sports Med 1986;14:477–80.
• Mendeszoon M, Mendeszoon E, Orabovic S, Valentine C. Tarsal coalitions: a review and assessment of the incidence in the Amish population. The Foot Ankle Online Journal 2013;6:1.
• Rühli FJ, Solomon LB, Henneberg M. High prevalence of tarsal coalition and tarsal joint variants in a recent cadaver sample and its possible significance. Clin Anat 2003;16:411–5.