Morphologic evaluation of vascular foramina in dry calcaneus

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Orthopedics
• Radiology

Background:

• Vascular foramina (VF) are vital anatomical structures within the calcaneus.
• Detailed morphologic and morphometric data of VF are essential for clinical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish reference data on the morphology and morphometrics of vascular foramina (VF) in the Turkish population's calcaneus.
• To analyze the number, location, and dimensions of VF on different calcaneal surfaces.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 49 dry calcanei (26 right, 23 left).
• Evaluation of VF number and location relative to calcaneal surfaces.
• Measurement of total length (TL) and distances (LMS, LLS, LSS, LIS) to largest foramina.
• Calculation of foraminal indexes (FI1-FI4) for the largest foramina on each surface.

Main Results:

• Mean TL: 74.83±6.00 mm; LMS: 41.34±4.78 mm; LLS: 31.18±7.63 mm; LSS: 49.61±13.40 mm; LIS: 39.25±13.56 mm.
• Mean FI1: 55.40±6.21%; FI2: 41.73±10.06%; FI3: 66.01±16.82%; FI4: 52.16±16.80%.
• Maximum VF numbers were most frequent on lateral (28.29%) and medial (26.45%) surfaces, least on anterior (0.98%) and posterior (8.29%) surfaces.

Conclusions:

• Vascular foramina are predominantly located on the lateral and medial aspects of the calcaneus.
• Knowledge of VF morphologic and morphometric characteristics aids in minimizing vascular damage during surgical procedures, particularly lateral approaches.
• Understanding VF patterns assists radiologists in differentiating cystic lesions from normal anatomical variations.