Squatting facets of talus in the coastal population of Mangalore

The development of bipedal locomotion is one of the most significant adaptations of the hominin lineage and the foot is particularly specialized for this purpose. Talus is one of the most important members of the tarsal bones as it carries the weight in stationary position and during movements. The articular morphology of the human skeleton can be subject to modification by stresses imposed upon it and habitual squatting alters the skeletal morphology of the lower limb.

Aim: To study the frequency of squatting facets and trochlear extensions in tali and their regional peculiarity.

Methods: This is a descriptive study done on 96 human’s dry tali of unknown age and sex obtained from the Department of Anatomy. Each talus was examined in detail for the presence of squatting facets and trochlear extensions.

Results: Squatting facets and trochlear extensions were observed in (55, 57.3%) tali and were more common on right tali (33, 70.2%). Majority of the tali were observed to have medial facet (33, 34.4%) and medial extension (28, 29.2%) alone and a combination of medial facet and medial extension was observed in (20, 20.8%) tali.

Conclusion: Medial facet and medial extension both alone and in combination were frequently observed and were common on the right tali than left tali. Squatting facets and trochlear extensions were common in our study on Indians than the Europeans due to the habitual squatting position.