Abstract
The ankle joint complex connects the foot and leg, and consists of the tibiotalar, fibulotalar, and distal tibiofibular joints. The compressive force on the ankle joint is approximately two to five times body weight during gait cycle. Contact characteristics have been extensively studied in joints such as the knee and hip; however, there is relatively liffle information available for the ankle joint. In this study, in vivo contact areas of tibiotalar joints in 20 healthy subjects were studied using a loading device within a closed-MRI system Cartilage-enhanced, sagittal images were obtained at 10° of dorsiflexion, and 0° and 10° of plantarflexion under 200 N ankle-loaded conditions. For ankle-unloaded conditions, the anlde was positioned at 10° of dorsiflexion, and 0°, 10°, 30°, and 50° of plantarfiexion. This study highlights the differences in tibiotalar joint contact area between different ankle flexion postures, loading conditions, and geometries of joint surfaces.
