Heel pad thickness of adult Ethiopian patients in Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Addis Abeba

One-hundred-twenty-five male and 113 female subjects attending the Tikur Anbessa Hospital Radiology Department in Addis Abeba from August 1991 to July 1992 were included in a study of heel pad thickness (HPT). Their age ranged from 10 to 65 years (mean 30.4 years) and body weight 21 to 86 kg (mean 55.7). Mean HPT for males was 21.4 mm (SD 1.6), range 17mm to 24mm, and for females 20.7 mm (SD 1.5), range 17mm to 24mm. Males had thicker heel pads than females and HPT was directly correlated with body weight in both sexes. The difference between mean male and female HPT was statistically significant (p < 0.001). As HPT is a reliable indicator of changes in soft tissue thickness in the body, these values can be used as a preliminary reference for Ethiopian patients until a more extensive study is made.