"Normal" talar tilt angle

A study to determine the degree of normal talar tilt in individuals with no history of ankle injuries was performed on 404 ankles of 202 midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. Manual inversion stress roentgenograms were used to test this group of young healthy adults, most of whom were males. Of the 404 ankles tested, only 39 (9.7%) had any measurable talar tilt and only 7 ankles (1.7%) had a tilt over 5 degrees. Normal talar tilt does not range to 23 degrees. A normal ankle in a healthy young adult with no history of trauma has a small probability of having any talar tilt. When stress roentgenograms are used to evaluate a fresh lateral ankle ligament sprain in this type of individual, there is a very high probability that talar tilt over 5 degrees would represent significant injury to one or more of the lateral supporting structures.