Shape Approximation and Size Difference of the Upper Part of the Talus: Implication for Implant Design of the Talar Component for Total Ankle Replacement

The implant design of the talar component for total ankle replacement (TAR) should match the surface morphology of the talus so that the replaced ankle can restore the natural motion of the tibiotalar joint and may reduce postoperative complications. The purpose of this study was to introduce a new 3D fitting method (the two-sphere fitting method of the talar trochlea with three fitting resection planes) to approximate the shape of the upper part of the talus for the Chinese population. 90 models of the tali from CT images of healthy volunteers were used in this study. Geometrical fitting and morphological measurements were performed for the surface morphology of the upper part of the talus. The accuracy of the two-sphere fitting method of the talar trochlea was assessed by a comparison of previously reported data. Parameters of the fitting geometries with different sizes were recorded and compared. Results showed that compared with previously reported one-sphere, cylinder, and bitruncated cone fitting methods, the two-sphere fitting method presented the smallest maximum distance difference, indicating that talar trochlea can be approximated well as two spheres. The radius of the medial fitting sphere R(M) was 20.69 ± 2.19 mm which was significantly smaller than the radius of the lateral fitting sphere R(L) of 21.32 ± 1.88 mm. After grouping all data by the average radius of fitting spheres, the result showed that different sizes of the upper part of the talus presented significantly different parameters except the orientation of the lateral cutting plane, indicating that the orientation of the lateral cutting plane may keep consistent for all upper part of the talus and have no relationship with the size. The linear regression analyses demonstrated a weak correlation (R(2) < 0.5) between the majority of parameters and the average radius of the fitting spheres. Therefore, different sizes of the upper part of the talus presented unique morphological features, and the design of different sizes of talar components for TAR should consider the size-specific characteristics of the talus. The parameters measured in this study provided a further understanding of the talus and can guide the design of different sizes of the talar components of the TAR implant.