Morphological variation of the hemophilic talus

Flattening of the trochlear tali is clinically observed as structural and functional changes advance in patients with hemarthropathy of the ankle. However, the degree of this flattening has not yet been quantified, and distribution of the morphological changes across the talus not yet defined. Chronologically sequential MR images of both a hemophilic patient group (N = 5) and a single scan from a nondiseased, sex-matched, control group (N = 11) were used to take four measurements of the trochlear talus morphology at three locations (medial, central and lateral) along the sagittal plane. Three ratios of interest were defined from these to assess whether the talar dome flattens with disease. The control group MRI measurements were validated against literature data obtained from CT scans or planar X-Rays. The influence of disease on talar morphology was assessed by direct comparison of the hemophilic cases with the control group. The values for all three ratios, in all locations, differed between the control and the hemophilic group. Flattening was indicated in the hemophilic group in the medial and lateral talus, but differences in the central talus were not statistically significant. This work demonstrates that morphological assessment of the talus from MR images is similar to that from CT scans or planar X-Rays. Talar flattening does occur with hemarthropathy, especially at the medial and lateral edges of the joint surface. General flattening of the trochlear talus was confirmed in this small patient sample, however the degree and rate of change is unique to each ankle.