Morphometric profile of tendocalcaneus of South Africans of European ancestry using a cadaveric approach.

Abstract

Tendocalcaneus is a strong tendon that is vital for bipedalism in humans. Despite its tremendous strength, the tendocalcaneus is prone to damage and degeneration causing mobility problems and pain. Morphometric dimension of the tendocalcaneus is of benefit to the surgical repair and reconstruction of the damaged tendon. Cadaveric approach provides a realistic method for determining tendocalcaneus morphometry and as at present only two cadaveric studies on Indian population is available. Thus this study presents data on tendocalcaneus morphometry in South Africans of European ancestry using a cadaveric approach. A total of 66 lower limbs (32 left and 34 right legs) sourced from 49 male and female cadavers were used. After careful dissection of the posterior aspect of leg, the medial and lateral length, distal width, distal circumference and proximal width of the tendocalcaneus were measured. The data showed a high degree of reproducibility indicating that the measurements obtained using cadaveric approach were precise and accurate. There was no difference in measurements between the sides. Measurements in the males were generally higher than in the females. Strong associations were observed between the paired measurements of the medial and lateral tendon length and between the distal width and distal circumference. The data obtained will be useful in predicting tendocalcaneus size during the surgical reconstruction of the tendocalcaneus.