Talocalcaneal Ligament Reconstruction Kinematic Simulation for Progressive Collapsing Foot Deformity

TL;DR

This study explores how reconstructing a subtalar ligament could stabilize foot deformity by correcting talar rotation without affecting normal foot movement.

Contribution

The study introduces a kinematic simulation to evaluate the feasibility and optimal placement of a subtalar ligament reconstruction for progressive collapsing foot deformity.

Findings

A laterodistal insertion orientation of the ligament provides significant lengthening during talar internal rotation.

The proposed ligament reconstruction shows near-isometric behavior during inversion and eversion.

The model suggests that subtalar ligament reconstruction can stabilize talar malposition without restricting physiological motion.

Abstract

In progressive collapsing foot deformity (PCFD), an internal and plantar rotation of the talus relative to the calcaneus may result in painful peritalar subluxation. Medial soft tissue procedures (eg, spring ligament repair) aim to correct the talar position via the navicular bone if bony correction alone is not sufficient. The effect of the medial soft tissue reconstruction on the talar reposition remains unclear. We hypothesized that a subtalar talocalcaneal ligament reconstruction might be favorable in PCFD to correct talar internal malposition directly. This pilot study aims to evaluate the anatomical feasibility and kinematic behavior of a subtalar ligament reconstruction in PCFD.

Three-dimensional surface model from 10 healthy ankles were produced. A total of 1089 different potential ligament courses were evaluated in a standardized manner. A motion of inversion/eversion and talar internal/external in relation to the calcaneus were simulated and the ligament strain, expressed as a positive length variation, for each ligament was analyzed. The optimal combination for the ligament reconstruction with increased length in internal rotation of the talus, isometric kinematic behavior in inversion/eversion, and extraarticular insertion on talus and calcaneus was selected.

A laterodistal orientation of the talar insertion point in respect to the subtalar joint axis and laterodistal deviation of the calcaneal insertion point presents the highest ligament lengthening in internal talar rotation (+0.56 mm [3.8% of total length]) and presented a near-isometric performance in inversion/eversion (+0.01 to −0.01 mm [0.1% of total length]).

This kinematic model shows that a ligament reconstruction in the subtalar space presents a pattern of length variation that may stabilize the internal talar rotation without impeding the physiological subtalar motion.

This study investigates the optimal location, feasibility, and kinematic behavior of a ligament reconstruction that could help stabilize peritalar subluxation in progressive collapsing foot deformity.

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